Crystal Bearers: On the Other Side
by Yoshiman11
Summary: Although the Yuke Crystal has been restored, miasma and monsters continue to enter the world. When Layle is sent to recover the lost Selkie Crystal, he discovers a dark force which intends to destroy the four tribal crystals and once again cover the world in miasma.
1. Into the Unknown

Alright, so this is the first chapter of my Crystal Bearers fanfiction! It will get much more exciting after this, so please be patient and enjoy!

Warning: If you have not played or seen the ending of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, this story may not make sense.

**I do not own Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. Square Enix does.**

Chapter One: Into the Unknown

A young Clavat girl watched as several seagulls flew next to the cruise ship that she was standing on. Laughing, she followed them as they slowly moved closer to the front of the ship.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came toward the girl and blew her hat off her head. Crying out, she reached for the hat, but she was unable to grab it. Just as it seemed she would never see her favorite hat again, a blue aura spread around the hat. Rushing back toward her, the hat gently landed on her head again. As it did, she heard a man say, "Here you go."

Turning, she saw a male Clavat walking away from her. "Th-thank you," she stuttered. The man waved his hand as if he didn't really care whether she thanked him or not.

Glad that her hat was once again in her possession, the girl turned and headed back to her room.

Layle stared out over the ocean. He was very surprised that the girl had thanked him. The Crystal Bearer had expected that she would be scared of him because of his magical powers.

_Maybe this place will be better, _he thought. But he didn't want to be too hopeful.

A week ago, Layle had fought and defeated Jegran. As they tumbled through the sky, he had been able to push Jegran away and slow his own descent with his powers over Gravity. He had landed in the Queen's Garden and had quickly fled before any Lilty soldiers could question and arrest him. After a few days of hiding, he had found himself at Costa Faguita. When he saw the cruise ship that was just about to leave, he had decided to jump on.

Once again, Layle pondered on what he would do next. He did not want to return to the lands he had lived in for so long. He was a wanted criminal, and although that might change because Jegran was dead, people would still fear and despise him and his powers. That was why Layle had boarded this boat; he wanted to go to a different land, where he could start over and possibly live without ever displaying his Crystal Bearer powers to the public.

The reason Layle felt this way was because of Jegran. Before Layle had pushed the Lilty away, he had said, "You don't belong in the new world." Layle was hoping that wherever this ship was headed would be a place where he would belong.

But would he be able to resist the temptation to use his powers? Could he create a more peaceful life for himself after all his years of dangerous adventures? He didn't know if would be able to control himself. Plus, he was leaving both his homeland and his friends.

Then again, he doubted his friends would need him. Althea might not be able to be queen any longer, not after it had been revealed that she was a Crystal Bearer. And if she could still hide her powers from the public, she might not be allowed to see him if it meant losing her authority.

Keiss wouldn't need Layle. He was growing closer to the Lilty nation, and he would probably replace Jegran as High Commander. They had been good friends and work-partners for many years now, but they had always been prepared for the day that one of them would die or leave.

And then there was Belle. Layle smiled as he recalled how many times she had stated that she could handle it solo, but he always ended up saving her anyway. She wouldn't miss him. He was just a filthy Crystal Bearer to her.

Something on the horizon pulled Layle away from his thoughts. He saw that a large landmass was approaching.

At that moment, Layle decided that he would not turn back. He would stay here, away from all that he had once known. _This is for the best, _he assured himself. Preparing to depart from the ship, he hoped that he was right.


	2. The Fields of Fum

Chapter Two: The Fields of Fum

As Layle jumped off the ship, he immediately noticed that there were no Selkies nor Lilties in this port. Glad that he wouldn't have to be running away from any guards for the moment, Layle decided to explore.

Immediately, he found that this was only a port and was not a true city. As he passed by the few buildings that there were, he saw that there were a few Clavats selling fruits and vegetables to the passengers of the newly-arrived ship. Hiding in an alley where nobody could see him, Layle swung out his hand. A blue aura appeared both around his hand and one of the many striped apples that a young man was trying to sell. Pulling the apple to his hand, Layle immediately walked away before anyone would see him and took a bite out of the apple. He might not want to show off his powers to many people, but he didn't want to waste the little money that he had either.

Soon Layle was able to find a road leading out of the port. He read the sign at the beginning of the road, which said, "Fields of Fum: West."

"Fields of Fum?" Layle muttered to himself. "I wonder what those are."

An elderly Clavat man turned to Layle. "You have never heard of the Fields of Fum?"

Layle inwardly cursed himself for speaking his thoughts aloud. "No, I haven't."

"Well, don't worry yourself over it. Not many newcomers do know much about our lands." The man beckoned behind him to a cart being pulled by a chocobo. "I myself am heading back to the Fields right now. Would you care to join me?"

Layle nearly declined the offer, then he realized that, since he was new to the area, this old man could be a very helpful guide to him. "Sure," he answered.

"I'm glad to hear it. Oh, please excuse my manners. My name is Kalfel."

"I'm Layle."

"Nice to meet you Layle." The two Clavats seated themselves in the cart and headed toward the Fields of Fum.

After about an hour, the man turned north onto a second road as the first road continued west. "What lies further west?" Layle asked Kalfel.

"Only monsters and bandits. I wouldn't go west of the Fields if I were you," Kalfel advised.

After a few more minutes, the Fields came into sight. There were dozens of fields, and their fertile soil were growing every kind of plant and tree a farmer would raise. As they passed by a few of the Fields, Layle saw children picking grapes, peaches, pears, and apples while the adults harvested the wheat and corn. Everybody in the fields were Clavats, and Layle saw the occasional straw huts next to the fields. _I wonder if the Lilties are forcing them to do the dirty work just like in Harvest Prairie, _Layle thought to himself.

Then, after the cart had reached the top of a hill, Layle saw the city. It was not nearly as large as Alfitaria, but it was still capable of supporting a few thousand people. The highest the buildings got were two stories, and it looked like almost all the houses had only one story. _Obviously no rich Lilties live in this town._

But it wasn't the city that caught most of Layle's attention. It was the crystal in the center of the city, similar to the Lilty Crystal. Four crystal arcs (similar to the two crystal pillars that used to hold the Lilty Crystal) rose into the sky and curved back down to a point high above the city. There, they met together, and hanging from them was the crystal. It had the shape of a triangular pyramid, and what looked like vines made of crystal were surrounding it. The vines of crystal did not touch the larger crystal, but they circled around it as if shielding it from any attacks. As he gazed upon it, Layle couldn't help but feel that this crystal was a symbol of peace coinciding with nature.

"What is that?" Layle wondered.

"That is the city of Fum," Kalfel replied. "Just as the Vale of Alfitaria was named after the Lilty capital, the Fields and Plains of Fum were named after our Clavat capital. Of course, the city used to only be a small village of cottages and farmers, However, a thousand years ago, we Clavats turned that village into this city.

"And that beautiful object in the middle of the city is the Clavat Crystal. It is an amazing thing; not only is it wonderful to look at, but it blesses our fields with life."

_And it is the only thing keeping you and me within this world, _Layle realized. Despite the many times he had seen the Lilty Crystal and the one time he had seen the Yuke Crystal, he had never even suspected that a Clavat Crystal existed as well.

Suddenly, as Layle stared at the Clavat Crystal, a series of questions entered his mind. Could there be a Selkie Crystal as well? Surely there had to be, but where was it? And why hadn't Layle seen any Lilties or Selkies so far? How was it that neither they nor himself had ever heard of this place?

With all these questions in mind, Layle sat back and waited as the cart drew ever closer to the Clavat city of Fum.


	3. A Change of Laws

I apologize if my description of Fum and the Clavat Crystal were hard to understand. I am not always the best at describing locations and creating images for the readers.

But now, let us continue on to the third chapter of the story! What will happen when Layle is forced to use his Crystal Bearer powers in the public?

Chapter Three: A Change of Laws

Once they had entered Fum, Layle thanked Kalfel for the ride and departed. He knew that the old man could help him find his away around the city, but he was bored of riding in that uncomfortable cart. Wondering what he would find, Layle set out to search the city.

In the end, it wasn't all that different from the port Layle had previously visited. Everywhere he looked were markets, where Clavats were selling foods, clothing, jewelry, and other personal items. The city was different because it had more markets, a larger variety of products, and it had inns and houses for visitors and citizens to live. Slowly, Layle moved closer to the center of the city. He wished to get a closer look at the Clavat Crystal.

Finally, he came to the main plaza of the city. In the center was a fountain, and it stood directly beneath the town's Crystal. Several Clavat guards wearing swords but no armor were roaming the plaza, watching for any who might try to harm the Crystal.

After looking closely at the beautiful Crystal, Layle decided he should try to find an inn to spend the night at. Turning, he was about to head away when he looked into a large crowd. Within the crowd, he saw a couple of short Lilties walking among the tall Clavats. Confused, Layle started forward to ask the Lilties why there were so few Lilties in Fum.

Suddenly, a man cried out. The entire crowd in front of Layle turned and gasped. Wondering what was happening, Layle looked to see what they were staring at. He saw that a man was hanging from the edge of a roof, his fingers barely holding onto the building. With one final cry, the man's fingers slipped, and he began to fall.

_No! _Despite his vow not to use his Bearer powers in public, Layle swung his hand up. The man slowed to a halt, and Layle gently brought him down to the ground. When he ceased use of his powers and glanced at the crowd, he saw that they were staring at him. Knowing that they would be frightened of him, he began to walk away.

Then, to his complete surprise, the Clavats around him began clapping. Even the very few Lilties that he had seen earlier clapped for him. The man he had just saved came up and hugged Layle. "Thank you so much for saving me!" he said to Layle.

"Um, sure, no problem." The applause continued for several more seconds, and then the people began to return to what they had previously been doing. Only a single man remained facing Layle, and he began to approach the Crystal Bearer.

"That was pretty great what you did back there," the Clavat man said to him. He was a few inches taller than Layle, and he had short brunette hair that just barely covered his forehead. He had a weathered look about him, with a couple of scars on his face and arms, but he had a smile that never seemed to vanish. From what Layle could tell, he was probably around the age of thirty. "By the way, I'm Nakta." The man extended his hand. Layle was shocked to see that a crystal was embedded in the center of his right palm. No, his skin was made of crystal!

"Are you surprised that I am also a Crystal Bearer?"

Layle shook his head. "I am only surprised that you were so willing to show me."

"Ah. That explains why you were so shocked when you received a round of applause for saving that man." Layle nodded. "You see, we accept Crystal Bearers here. Unlike the Lilties of Alfitaria, we Clavats of Fum know that magic can be used for the good of mankind."

"Wait, you know about Alfitaria?"

"Is it that strange?"

"Well, nobody in Alfitaria knew about Fum. Also, the man I came to Fum with did not seem like he knew much about anything outside of this land."

"Yes, well, I have been with a group that is much more educated about the history and geology of the world. May I bring you to meet them?"

"Why would you want me to come with you?"

Nakta smiled. "I sense that you have many questions about this land. Besides, I want you to meet the rest of my people."

Layle scratched the crystal on his cheek. "You mean Crystal Bearers, right?"

"Yes. In Alfitaria, Crystal Bearers are not allowed to meet in groups. But here, we are an organized group. If you come with me, you will find out the answers to your questions and you can learn what it feels like to be a Crystal Bearer who is free to use his powers."

Layle was definitely liking the sound of this. He casually shrugged. "Whatever."

Nakta smiled. "Follow me."


	4. The Bearers of Fum

In case anybody was confused, the Vale of Alfitaria and the Plains of Fum are areas from the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game. Alfitaria is in the Vale of Alfitaria, and the Fields of Fum are in the Plains of Fum.

Now, prepare to meet the Crystal Bearers of Fum!

Chapter Four: The Bearers of Fum

With Layle following close behind Nakta, the two Crystal Bearers left the city of Fum. They continued walking down the main road for a few minutes, then Nakta suddenly turned away from the road and headed east. After a while, they were past the Fields of Fum and were walking through a dense forest. It was within this forest that Layle saw a long, wooden building.

"So this is where you meet?" Layle questioned Nakta.

"Yes."

"If everyone accepts Crystal Bearers here, why is this place so hidden?"

Nakta sighed. "Not everybody enjoys magic. Some people even tried to eliminate us when we met within the walls of Fum. That's why we changed locations."

Hoping the same would not happen to him, Layle followed Nakta through the door. As soon as the door had shut, a purple aura appeared around the two Clavats. Layle tried to move away, but his body felt like it was made of lead. He could hardly move, his body felt so heavy.

"Hey, it's me!" Nakta yelled in fury.

The purple auras vanished and a small Lilty with short red hair popped his leafed head out from behind a wall. "I'm sorry, but you should have knocked. You know how paranoid I am!"

"Yeah, I know. I apologize. I'll remember to knock next time."

The Lilty nodded in approval. "Good. Who's your friend?"

Nakta gestured to Layle. "This is Layle. He's a Crystal Bearer as well. Layle, meet Trookle."

Layle waved, but the Lilty did not move away from his hiding place. "Just because he is a Crystal Bearer doesn't mean you can bring him to our meeting place! He must have come from the Vale of Alfitaria; what if he's a spy?"

"He saved a man's life today, Trookle. The man slipped off of the roof of a building, and Layle managed to safely deliver him to the ground."

The Lilty left his hiding place then, bringing himself in front of Layle. Layle instantly saw that what looked like a huge, blue scar ran from his left shoulder to his left elbow. Except it wasn't a scar; it was the crystallized part of his body that all Crystal Bearers possessed.

Trookle's eyes were full of interest. "Really? What is that you can do exactly, Layle?"

"I was wondering the same thing about you."

The Lilty glared at Layle and stamped his foot on the ground. "Just because I didn't trust you at first doesn't mean you should talk back to me!"

Nakta laughed. "Don't worry, this is typical of Trookle. Lilties always are hot-headed." Turning to the Lilty, he said, "Calm down, or you might burn those leaves off your head."

"Nakta, don't push it!"

"Wow, I can see the fire building within you, that's how red your face is. Oh look, your leaves are on fire."

Instantly, Trookle grabbed his head and began running around, screaming. Nakta fell over laughing, and Layle couldn't help but chuckle. When Trookle had figured out that there was no fire, he turned to Nakta and put his hands on his hips. "That isn't funny Nakta!"

Wiping tears away from his eyes, Nakta replied, "Of course it wasn't." Then he whispered to Layle, "They obviously aren't the smartest race, are they? At least, not the short-tempered ones."

Layle nodded, and the two Clavats walked past Trookle laughing. "Hey," Trookle called after them, "I didn't even find out what Layle's powers are!" When the two ignored him, the Lilty grumbled to himself and ran after them.

As they walked down the hall, Nakta told Layle, "Long ago, before Crystal Bearers came into existence, people used items known as magicites to cast spells. Some Crystal Bearers' powers are based off of these spells. However, when they use their powers, their use of the spell is far stronger than the magic of the magicites. The Gravity spell, for instance, has the power to bring objects in the air down to the ground. But you, as a Crystal Bearer with the power of Gravity, can lift things up, slow the descent of falling objects, ect. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"I believe so. Is Fire a type of magicite?"

"Yes, it was. Did you meet a Crystal Bearer who had the power of Fire?"

Layle nodded. "What about Crystallization?"

Nakta raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I have never heard of such a spell."

_Jegran must have only acquired that power because of the accident of the Alexis. While Blaze and I were given our powers naturally, Jegran's Bearer powers were a mistake. _Before Nakta could question Layle about Crystallization, Layle asked, "What about Trookle? What is his power?"

"Trookle's power is based off the Slow spell, which can slow the speed of a moving object." As Nakta finished saying this, they entered a long, rectangular room. The only things within the room were a few couches and a large, round table with several chairs surrounding it. This room was obviously the meeting room.

Two Clavats were sitting across from each other at the table. One was a girl who looked to be in her mid-twenties, only a few years older than himself. She was a bit shorter than Layle, and she had long red hair that ended a few inches beneath her shoulders. Her face was not very significant, but she had a few freckles on her cheeks and nose. She had a dusty look about her, as if she had worked in fields all of her life. _Which is probably true, _Layle suspected. Overall, Layle thought she was kind of pretty.

The other Clavat was an man who looked to be in his sixties. He had long, brown hair that was turning gray, and it covered his face and ended at his chin. Layle could only see the man's chin and mouth, and the rest of his face was hidden from his thick hair.

Both of the Clavats turned when Layle, Nakta, and Trookle entered. "I was wondering when you would get here Nakta," the girl said. "Of course, I knew exactly when you arrived. It isn't that hard to hear Trookle when he screams."

Nakta chuckled, but Trookle was baffled. "You heard me scream and you didn't come to help? What if I was being attacked?"

"I would think you could stop any attack, Trookle, since you are able to Slow it before it hits you," the girl pointed out.

"And of course," Nakta said, "you will always be able to Slow the attacker and then run. Isn't that why you were given the power of Slow? So that you could finally run faster than your enemies?" Both Nakta and the girl burst out laughing.

Trookle looked frustrated. "Just because I'm short doesn't mean I can't run fast!"

"Right, but I think we all know that, if you were to race a snail, the only way you would beat it is by using your magic on it." After Nakta said this, he and the girl once again went into a long round of laughter.

As Trookle angrily turned away from them, the girl walked over to Layle. Once she was done laughing, she said, "Hey there, fellow Crystal Bearer. I'm sorry about that; we just can't resist teasing Trookle every once in a while."

"I can see that."

Smiling, she extended her hand. "I'm Yania, by the way."

Shaking her hand, he replied, "My name is Layle."

"Nice to meet you." They turned as they heard Trookle yelling at a laughing Nakta. Furious, the Lilty turned and began to walk toward the hallway that Layle had just walked through. As he passed the table, he accidentally knocked over a glass of water sitting on the edge of the table. The water spilled in front of him, and before he could stop himself, Trookle slipped on the water. Before the short Lilty could fall and hurt himself, Layle swung out his hand and caught him using his Gravity powers. Lifting him away from the puddle of water, Layle set Trookle back on his feet.

When Layle turned back to the others, he saw that the old man with the long, grayish hair had stood. "You have power over Gravity, don't you?" the man asked him.

Layle nodded, but Yania immediately gave him a warning look and said, "Yes, he does."

The man slowly walked over toward Layle and bowed. "I am Olgra. What is your name, Crystal Bearer?"

"Layle."

"I am pleased to meet you, Layle." As Olgra straightened himself, his hair parted enough to allow Layle to see his face, causing Layle to gasp. A scar of crystal covered Olgra's eyes, beginning at one temple and ending at the other. Even his eyes were made of crystal.

"I am sorry for not warning you," Olgra apologized, "but I am also a Crystal Bearer. I was born with these eyes, and I have been blind my entire life."

"But how did you…?" Layle began.

"Olgra may be blind," Nakta interrupted him, "but he has the ability to see things that others cannot. He is capable of seeing magic and what it can do. And sometimes, he is able to see future events."

"He was the one who found us and organized this group," Yania told Layle. "Using his powers to see our magic, he was able to find us and bring us together."

"If it weren't for him, we may never have found each other," Trookle proclaimed. "If it weren't for him, we might still be alone."

"So do not fear us," Olgra said to Layle. "We have all lived lives similar to yours. We have been alone, outcast, and some have tried to kill us. But now we are together, we who understand each other, we who are different yet are the same. And you are one of us."

Glancing around at the others, Layle smiled. _This is where I belong. _"I would be glad to be a part of this group, if you will have me."

"Of course we will," Yania told him.

"How could we not?" Trookle said. "You did save me from slipping."

"He wouldn't have had to if you weren't so clumsy," Yania replied.

Everyone burst into laughter as Trookle complained that he wasn't clumsy. Nakta clapped Layle on the shoulder. "Come on, let's have dinner everybody!" Everybody, even Trookle, cheered and moved toward a second hallway that led to the kitchen.

As they walked together, Layle closed his eyes and smiled. He had finally found a place where he was truly accepted and understood. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was home.


	5. The Vision

To all who might be reading this, reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reviewing, Mogiosh!

Chapter Five: The Vision

A few minutes after the Crystal Bearers had begun eating dinner (which consisted of beef, freshly picked corn and grapes, and milk), Layle was reminded of the many questions floating within his mind.

"Trookle?" The Lilty ceased eating and looked up when he heard his name. "Why are there so few Lilties in Fum?"

Trookle's eyebrows furrowed. "What, you got something against Lilties?"

Trying to stop himself from making a comeback, Layle replied, "No, it's just that…" Layle stopped talking when he saw that Trookle was laughing. It was the first time he had seen Trookle laugh that day. All the other times, everyone else had been laughing at him.

When he was done laughing, Trookle said, "I'm just messing with you, Layle. But I think you better ask Nakta about that. I'm not exactly the historian of the group."

Nakta set his glass of milk down and faced Layle. "I did promise you that your questions would be answered here. However unbelievable this may sound, please believe me." After Layle had nodded, he continued, "A long time ago, the Plains of Fum were located right next to the Vale of Alfitaria. The only thing separating them was a river known as the Jegon River.

"But that all changed a thousand years ago. At that time, a massive earthquake split the Plains of Fum off of the mainland, as well as the Rebena Plains. Basically, everything west of the Jegon river split off."

"Wait, so you're saying that all of this broke off of the mainland?"

"Yes. Many scientists tried to discover what had caused the lands to part. After many years, they discovered a natural phenomenon known as continental drift. You see, they found that the lands were on top of these masses called tectonic plates. Everything west of the Jegon River was on one tectonic plate, and everything else was on another. There may be many more tectonic plates in the world, but these are the only two that we know of.

"Anyway, these plates were moving away from each other. Slowly, the distance between the lands increased, allowing the ocean to flow into the space in between and create a sea. It is because of continental drift that the lands are so far away from each other today."

"That explains why not many people know about the other land across the sea," Layle observed. "But what about the Lilties? Surely they must have been stationed here before the lands spread apart?"

"Well, there were some Lilties who lived in the Fields of Fum. But all of the soldiers lived in the Vale of Alfitaria. Only after the Great War did they spread their power further. Fortunately, they decided not to try to take over this land across the ocean. They were wise enough to realize that they didn't have enough soldiers to spread their power so far. If their soldiers were too far apart, they could easily be taken down by rebels of their kingdom.

"So, only a few Lilties live here, and most of them are descendants of the non-soldiers who lived here before and after the Great War. Some Lilties did what you did and decided to venture into the unknown, and that is how they came to live here. Overall, not many Lilties know about Fum."

Layle nodded in understanding. Suddenly, another question popped into his head. "Olgra, I was wondering about your powers." The old Crystal Bearer turned so that his sightless eyes were looking in Layle's general direction. "They aren't like any powers of the Crystal Bearers I've met before. Was there a magicite similar to your powers?"

Olgra shook his head. "No, there were no magicites that could allow people to see unnatural things. I have wondered why I have this ability for my entire life."

"We believe it might be because his eyes were crystallized," Yania explained to Layle. "While the rest of us simply have little bits of our skin crystallized, an entire body part of Olgra was turned into crystal." When she saw the questioning look in Layle's eyes, she lifted her leg so that only her right foot was above the table, allowing him to see that a part of her ankle was crystallized.

Yania's theory caused a memory to drift into Layle's mind. "I think you're right. Back in Alfitaria, I met a Crystal Bearer who's entire arm was crystallized. Using his crystallized hand, he had the power to turn people and creatures into crystal."

The other Crystal Bearers at the table gasped. "That's horrid!" Yania exclaimed.

"Who would do such a thing?" Trookle wondered.

"What happened to this Crystal Bearer?" Nakta asked.

"I killed him." When he saw the scared look in the other's eyes, he explained, "I was forced to. He was killing innocent people with his powers in order to power a battleship."

Olgra nodded with understanding. "We do not blame you, Layle. A man who would use his powers for such evil doesn't have the right to wield them."

Layle smiled at the wise words. "There was another Crystal Bearer I knew in Alfitaria. Her chest was crystallized, but she had an unusual power."

"Is that so? Would you care to give us some examples?"

And so Layle told them about Althea's powers. By doing so, he found himself also telling them most of his adventures with Amidatelion, Althea, and Jegran. He left Keiss and Belle out of his telling, and he explained to the others what had happened when Amidatelion tried to summon Althea's crystal idol, how Jegran was unable to crystallize Althea, and how she had been able to protect the Lilty Crystal from the Yuke spell for a short period of time.

"What kind of power do you think that could be?" Layle asked his new friends. "Do you believe her abilities are based off a magicite or spell?"

"I don't know," Yania admitted. "This seems like a very protective power, almost as if she can create a shield around anything. But I don't think there were any magicites that could create shields."

For a few long moments, everybody pondered the problem in silence. Then, Nakta snapped his fingers. "I've got it! She was able to use the spell Stop."

Confused, Layle said, "Stop?"

"Yes. You see, back in the olden days, there was a spell called Stop. It had the ability to stop a person or creature in place, as if freezing them in time. I believe that Althea had this power, but rather than being able to stop living beings from moving, she could stop other spells."

The others at the table nodded with agreement. As Layle thought about all the answers these people had given him, he was reminded of one more question. "You told me about how there are so few Lilties. But what about the Selkies? I haven't seen a single one in the Plains of Fum."

Suddenly silent, the other Crystal Bearers glanced at each other (except for Olgra of course). Nakta was the first to break the silence. "Well, Layle, the Selkies are-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Olgra yelled out in pain. Layle looked around the room to see if anyone had attacked him, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. When he returned his eyes to Olgra, he saw that the old man was shaking uncontrollably. The only thing keeping him from falling out of his seat were Nakta and Yania, who were holding him down.

"What's going on?" Layle cried out.

Yania glanced up at him for an instant before looking back down at Olgra. "He is having a vision."

"Huh?"

"Trookle, tell him!"

The Lilty seemed to be very happy that he was finally able to answer one of Layle's questions. "You know how, earlier, Nakta said that Olgra could occasionally see future events?" Layle nodded. "Well, that's what is happening now. He is seeing a vision of what is to come."

"Are his visions always accurate?"

"Well, not exactly. They show what will happen if specific events occur. Sometimes his visions come true, and sometimes people make certain choices that cause his vision to be false."

Before Layle could question him further, Olgra stopped shaking and gasped. "What is it, Olgra?" a concerned Yania asked. "What did you see?"

Olgra turned toward the sound of her voice and gripped her hand, which was still on his shoulder. "The Selkie Crystal must be found!"

Yania, Nakta, and Trookle's faces became bewildered. "And if it isn't?" Nakta asked.

"The four races, the Yukes, Lilties, Clavats, and Selkies, shall all perish."

**

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**

Deep within the Moogle Woods, just next to the Moogle Woods Station, a young, red-haired Selkie woman kicked the side of her plane and angrily sat down.

"Where the hell is he?"Belle quietly asked herself.

Belle had begun her search for Layle a few days ago. A week before she had set out to find him, he had fought and killed Jegran. They had been able to find Jegran's body, or what was left of it, but Layle was nowhere to be seen. Two days ago, after Belle had grown impatient of waiting for the Lilties to find him, she had stolen Keiss's small plane and had gone in search for him.

It was then that she had found out how easy it was to search the Vale of Alfitaria when you were traveling in a plane. Within the first day, she had thoroughly searched the Vale and had had no luck of finding the Crystal Bearer. The next day, she once again flew everywhere she could think of, but Layle was nowhere to be found. Today, on the third day of her search, she was continuing the routine. She had just finished searching the Moogle Woods, and she felt terrible.

"There's no way he could have avoided me for three days straight," Belle muttered to herself. A voice inside her head whispered, _He's dead. That fall was such a long fall, he must have splattered so completely that nothing was left of him. Face it, he's gone._

"No!" Belle screamed, drawing some attention from the moogles around her. "Sorry," she apologized. _He can't be dead. He can't be!_

"Excuse me? Are you alright, kupo?" Belle looked up to see that a white-haired moogle carrying a yellow backpack had spoken to her.

_Oh great, I guess I'm so pitiful now that even a little moogle is concerned for me. _"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

"That's good, kupo. Oh, please excuse my manners, kupo. I am Stiltzkin."

Deciding to be nice to this moogle, she replied, "I'm Belle."

"Ah, you were the one running around with Layle, were you not?"

Belle was astonished. "How did you know about that?"

"Well, both of your pictures were on the wanted board for quite a while, kupo. Plus, I spoke with Layle quite a bit, and he mentioned you a couple times."

Now interested, Belle said, "Really? You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"

"No, I am afraid not, kupo."

Belle sighed and lay back against a branch of the huge tree that the moogles lived on. "I didn't think so. I've looked everywhere, but he seems to have disappeared."

Stiltzkin scratched his white hair in thought. "Hmm. Have you looked in the land across the ocean, kupo?"

Belle blinked and sat up. "No. I didn't think there was anything beyond the ocean."

"Oh, but there is, kupo. If you continue west of Costa Faguita, you will eventually come upon the Plains of Fum. You should continue your search there, kupo."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, kupo. I have lived for two thousand years; I know just about everything about this world."

Suddenly very happy and excited, Belle stood and shook the moogle's little hand. "Thank you so much, Stiltzkin."

"It's my pleasure, kupo."

With a new sense of hope, Belle jumped into her plane and began flying west.


	6. The Mystery of the Selkies

I just realized that I forgot to mention a few of Trookle's physical characteristics. So, I have edited Chapter 3, which now says that he is "a small Lilty with short red hair". Basically, he looks just like the male Bare Head of the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.

Alright, onto chapter six!

Chapter Six: The Mystery of the Selkies

Layle leaned across the railing of the ship and looked out at the night sky. Once again, he was sailing across the ocean, riding a ship into the unknown.

Yesterday, after Olgra's vision, the other three Crystal Bearers had told him that they needed to go and search for the Selkie Crystal. When they asked for his help, Layle decided to go along with them. Without telling him where they were going or how they would find the Crystal, they set off toward the port and stole this ship. _I guess they're just as poor as me, _Layle thought.

Olgra had decided not to go. He had told them that a blind man like himself would be of no help to them. Once he had convinced Yania, Nakta, and Trookle to leave without him, Yania had left and brought back a Clavat man named Renool. Layle had questioned whether it was smart to leave Olgra with this man, and the others explained to him that he was a very close friend that they knew they could trust.

Now, a day later, they were still in the middle of the ocean. They had passed a couple of islands, but the others would not stop the ship. Layle hoped they knew what they were doing.

A bright red light appeared on the horizon. As the ship drew closer, Layle realized that it was a volcano.

"That's Mount Kilanda." Turning, Layle saw that Yania was now leaning on the railing next to him. "Don't worry, we're not stopping there."

"Then where are we stopping?"

Yania stared at him for many moments, then looked back at the volcano that the ship was passing. "We're going to the Lynari Island." She saw that Layle was confused and sighed. "It looks like I'm the one who's going to have to tell you about the Selkies.

"You see, Layle, the Selkies used to live in the city of Leuda. Leuda is on the Lynari Island. Sure, there were Selkies in Fum and Alfitaria as well, but most of them lived in Leuda. It was their home. When the lands began to drift apart, the Lynari Island, as well as the Kilanda Islands, moved in the same direction as Fum did. We assume that they are on the same tectonic plate as Fum, but we cannot be certain. All the Selkies who chose to stay on the mainland created the Selkie Guild, and those who chose to stay in these western lands remained in Leuda and Fum.

"That all changed about five hundred years ago. All the Selkies in Fum went back to Leuda. When a merchant of Fum chose to sail out to the Lynari Island, they discovered that the Selkies had vanished. Leuda remained, but the Selkies had disappeared. Also, they somehow managed to take the Selkie Crystal with them."

"Do you think they were sent into the Edge of Oblivion? You know, that place where I told you the Yukes used to live?"

"We don't think so. All of the Selkies' possessions and belongings were gone from Leuda as well. Many of the people who live in Fum decided not to bother solving this mystery, but we felt differently. When Nakta visited the mainland one year, he was able to discover that each leader of the Selkie Guild knew where the Selkies of Leuda had gone. When a different leader was elected, this information would be passed onto the new leader."

Layle's eyes widened as he realized what that meant. "The last leader of the Selkie Guild was killed before he could pass on the information. Vaigali was the only person who knew where the Selkies have gone to."

"Precisely. That is why we are going to the Lynari Island: to try and find any clues as to where the Selkies may have gone. Hopefully, we will find something in Leuda that will lead us to the new home of the Selkies."

Neither of them said much after that. After a few minutes, Yania wished Layle good-night, leaving him alone on the deck of the ship. Layle looked up at the stars and over the ocean, and he suddenly felt extremely tiny.

_This world is so large, _Layle thought in dismay. _Will we ever be able to find them? _As the ship continued to swiftly float through the ocean waters, Layle wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into.


	7. The Lynari Desert

Alright, this is going to be a long chapter, so prepare yourselves. And thank you to all who have reviewed this story thus far! I truly appreciate it!

Chapter Seven: The Lynari Desert

Layle was awoken by somebody who was lightly shaking his shoulder. "We're there, Layle," Yania whispered to him. "We have reached the Lynari Island."

Once the female Crystal Bearer had left, Layle dressed himself and exited his cabin on the ship. Once his eyes had adjusted to the bright sunlight, he saw that their ship was tied to a dock. The dock seemed to be sturdy enough to hold the ship, but the town beyond it looked old and unstable. "That's Leuda," Yania informed him. "What's left of it, anyway."

And there wasn't much left. Within the town were the remains of several small buildings made of bricks and clay. There were no roofs or doors left (if the Selkies had ever had any in the first place), and many of the walls had crumbled to the ground. As the four Crystal Bearers entered Leuda, Layle couldn't help but feel that this must be what many Selkies felt like; lonely, ruined, and abandoned.

"It doesn't look like there's anything that can help us here," Nakta said as he walked out of a ruined house. "Maybe we should try searching the Lynari Desert."

"Hang on just one second," Trookle demanded. "That does _not _sound like a good idea."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Yania asked him.

The Lilty glared at her. "No, but I don't think we should just go take a stroll around the desert. What if we get stuck? What if we lose our way?"

"We can use the sun to figure out directions."

"What if we get attacked by monsters?"

Layle blinked. "Monsters?"

Yania nodded. "There have been a sudden increase in monsters recently. For some reason, these strange things called miasma streams have been appearing around the world. We've seen quite a few in the Plains of Fum, and Nakta saw some in the Vale of Alfitaria when he went there a few years ago."

"I thought that that was just happening because of the disruption of the Crystal Principle that Jegran caused," Layle told them.

"If you're right, then we probably won't encounter any monsters," Nakta admitted.

"See, Trookle?" Yania said. "Everything will be alright."

"He said 'probably,' Yania. Not definitely!"

Nakta walked over and rustled the leaves on the Lilty's head. "Stop worrying, Trookle. My goodness, you have got to be the most paranoid person I have ever met."

"Why I ought to punch you silly!" The short Lilty tried to run and hit Nakta, but the tall Clavat was able to stop him by extending his arm and holding Trookle's head.

Nakta yawned and covered his mouth with his free hand while leaning on the Lilty's head. "You two go on ahead. I'll bring Shorty along once he calms down." Trookle roared in anger, causing the three Clavats to smile.

Shaking her head at the silliness of her friends, Yania beckoned Layle, and they followed a road out of Leuda. When they had gone a bit further uphill from the old Selkie town, Layle was able to see that the entire island was a desert. As they continued following the road, Yania said, "Nakta and Trookle are always doing that kind of thing. Even though Trookle is usually yelling at Nakta and Nakta is almost always laughing at Trookle, they are the closest of friends. They treat each other just like brothers, with Nakta being the older brother in this case."

Layle nodded. "Yeah, I can tell that they're both having fun with it. Well, Nakta's having most of the fun." Yania laughed, and Layle smiled. She had a beautiful laugh.

After a few minutes of walking, they came to the end of the road. The desert continued on, and Yania turned to Layle. "We should probably wait for them here. They may never find us if we leave the road."

Just as Layle nodded, the sky suddenly darkened. The two Clavats looked up to see that the sky had turned a hazy purple. "Oh no!" Yania exclaimed. "A miasma stream!" Layle had recognized the purple sky as well and turned to see that monsters were heading toward them. Surrounding the Crystal Bearers were four cactuars, five goblin warriors, and a few other monsters Layle didn't recognize. "What are those things?" Layle asked Yania.

Pointing to the two yellow monsters with tusks, two legs similar to a bird's, and what looked like a blue tentacle, Yania said, "Those are chimeras." When she pointed at the four who seemed to be women who's legs had been replaced by a serpent's tail, she told him, "They're lamias."

Roaring with glee, the monsters charged at the Clavats. A dumb goblin ran in front of the others and swung its sword at Layle. Dodging it, Layle kicked it in the face and used his powers to throw it into a chimera. Behind him, Yania threw up her hands and froze a cactuar in place. _She can create ice! _Layle realized. Yania smiled at him and said, "That's right, I have the power of Blizzard."

"Yania!" Layle grabbed a goblin that was about to stab her in the back and threw it into a cactuar that was going to shoot needles at her. "Less talking, more fighting!"

"Right!" Yania turned and saw that a different cactuar was also about to fire its needles into her. Grabbing the goblin that was now lying on the ground, Yania picked it up and held it in front of her, causing the needles to strike it in the stomach. The goblin screamed in pain, and Yania threw it onto the cactuar. When they were both on the ground, with the goblin laying on top of the cactuar, Yania froze them together and turned to fight another goblin warrior.

Layle himself had just defeated a goblin and was about to throw a cactuar when something popped out of the sand underneath him. The blow knocked him backwards, and he was able to land on his feet and saw that a sand sahagin had hit him. The sahagin jumped at him and tried to bite him with its huge, fish-like mouth. Just before its teeth clamped shut over his head, Layle stopped it in the air and threw it at a goblin, causing the goblin and the sahagin to both die.

Out of nowhere, a blue explosion surrounded Layle. He did not have time to cover himself, but after a moment he realized that the explosion had not harmed him. Sighing with relief, he took a step forward to move onto the next enemy. At least, he tried to. His leg wouldn't move! He attempted to look down to see what was wrong, but he couldn't move his head either. His body was frozen, yet there was no ice.

_This must be the spell that Nakta was talking about, _Layle realized_. Stop. _Fortunately, he could move his eyes, and he was able to see that a lamia had cast the spell on him. He also noticed that a cactuar was preparing to fill him with needles.

"Layle!" Yania cried out. She began to move toward him, but another sahagin came up from underneath her and sent her soaring through the air. When she landed on the sand, she was unconscious. Layle had no time to worry about her, though. Struggling to move, he prepared for immense pain as the cactuar shot its needles toward him.

Suddenly, a purple aura surrounded the needles, and their speed was greatly slowed. The spell holding Layle vanished, and he looked to see Trookle and Nakta running toward him. "Hurry up and move!" Trookle cried in fury. The long-distance use of his power was obviously tiring him.

Heeding the Lilty's advice, Layle rolled out of the way of the needles, and the purple aura around them disappeared. The needles continued on their path and hit a sahagin that was about to bite Layle's feet. Choking on the sharp needles, the sahagin flopped on the sand for a few moments, then went limp. Rolling back into a standing position, Layle threw the cactuar at the lamia who had used Stop on him, and both of the monsters vanished as they were killed.

Behind him, a goblin swung its sword down at Layle. Just before the sword cut through him, a lightning bolt struck its hand, and it dropped the sword. Layle turned around to see the angry goblin, and another bolt struck it in the face, sending it backwards into a lamia, slaying both monsters. Nakta had shot the lightning out of his hands.

"In case you were wondering how I saved your life," Nakta called to him, "I possess the power of Thunder."

_It seems more like lightning if you ask me, _Layle thought to himself. An explosion of lightning suddenly hit him. _That couldn't have been Nakta. _He glanced over and saw that a chimera had hit him with a Thunder spell. The chimera launched another Thunder spell at him, and he felt so weak by the attack that he fell over. Seeing the opening, the yellow monster ran at him and prepared to ram him with its tusks.

Once again, he was saved by Trookle. As he Slowed the chimera, Layle regained his strength and threw the chimera into a cactuar. The massive creature completely crushed the tiny cactuar, and when it stood back up, the living cactus was gone. A lamia attempted to Stop Layle, but Nakta paralyzed it with a lightning bolt and stabbed it with his sword. Leaving the dead lamia behind, he dodged a cactuar's needles and killed it with his Thunder powers.

Now there were only two goblins, one cactuar, one lamia, and both chimeras left. Trookle, Nakta, and Layle were preparing to fight them when they heard an ear-splitting screech. "What the…?" Turning toward the sound, Layle was hit by a huge, purple tail. He painfully crashed and rolled through the sand, then stood and saw that he had been hit by a zu. _If this is where the zus live, I wonder how they came to be in the Edge of Oblivion. _He was pulled away by his thoughts when a chimera jumped next to him and breathed fire at him. Layle just barely dodged the fire, but he was so weak from the zu's attack that he stumbled to the ground. Before he could rise again, the chimera breathed ice upon him and froze him in place. _Oh great, _Layle thought as the chimera prepared to smash him with its tentacle.

An instant before he was crushed, Nakta jumped in and shot a lightning bolt at the chimera's tentacle. Spinning from the attack, the chimera stumbled to the ground and attempted to stand. Before it could recover itself, Nakta grabbed both tusks with his hands and sent lightning into the monster. The chimera violently shook as electricity ran through it, then gave one final cry of pain before its corpse fell to the ground.

Layle quickly thanked Nakta as he pulled Layle up, and they ran back to help Trookle. The Lilty was keeping the zu at bay with Slow as well as the second chimera, but he was just barely avoiding being sliced by a goblin warrior and Stopped by a lamia. Layle saw that the last cactuar was also heading toward Trookle. Grabbing the cactuar with gravity, he raised it over his head and forced it to fire its needles in front of him. By doing this, he killed the goblin threatening Trookle. Unfortunately, he was not able to attack the lamia in time. Using Stop, the lamia froze Trookle, and the purple auras around the zu and the chimera disappeared. Before the lamia could do any more damage, Layle threw the cactuar above him at the lamia, and both disappeared.

Nakta, meanwhile, was trying to stop the zu and chimera from coming over and crushing Trookle. The chimera was constantly being paralyzed from the Thunder coming from Nakta's left hand, but the zu was hardly affected by the ones from his right hand. In a few seconds, the zu would be upon him.

"Layle, a little help would be nice!" he yelled.

"Alright! Focus all of your power on the zu!" Doing as he was told, Nakta hit the zu with Thunder using both of his hands. The zu roared in fury, and the chimera began to run toward Nakta. "Now, give it all you've got!" With a cry of determination, Nakta thrust his hands forward and sent two huge bolts into the zu's face. The zu was momentarily paralyzed, giving Layle enough time to grab it and thrust it into the ground, crushing the chimera in the process. Trookle was finally freed of the Stop spell, and he Slowed the zu enough so that it would take several seconds for it to stand and get back into the air. Nakta drew his sword and began slashing at it, and Layle jumped onto its back and continued to push it into the ground. After about a minute, the zu gave one final, terrifying screech, then collapsed in the desert sand.

The three Crystal Bearers cheered. Layle glanced around, and the smile on his face disappeared. "Where's Yania?" Their momentary feeling of triumph gone, the Crystal Bearers looked around and called out Yania's name.

"There!" Nakta pointed. Far away from them, the fifth and final goblin was carrying Yania's unconscious body and was running deeper into the desert. "Stop him!"

Layle raised his hand and focused his powers toward the goblin, but the blue aura did not appear. "He's too far away!" Layle cried in dismay.

To Layle's complete surprise, a purple aura appeared around the goblin instead. Trookle, who was a yard _behind _Layle, laughed. "Just because you have longer arms doesn't you mean have a longer range, Clavat." Rather than becoming angry, Layle was surprised to find himself smiling.

"Come on you two, we've got to get Yania before the goblin kills her!" Nodding, Layle and Trookle ran after the Clavat, hoping that they would reach the goblin before he hurt their female friend. Fortunately, the goblin continued to run forward, never reaching for its sword. Once he was close enough, Layle grabbed Yania and pulled her out of the goblin's hands, then threw him into a rock wall.

When the three had caught up to Yania, Nakta kneeled and felt her pulse. "She's alive." As if she had heard him, Yania's eyes opened, and she smiled at her friends. "Did I miss something? Why are all the monsters gone?"

"You were unconscious." Right when she nodded, they heard a scream in the distance. "What was that?" Yania exclaimed.

"It sounded like a person!" When they were sure that Yania didn't need any support, the four Crystal Bearers ran east toward the sound of the scream.

They stopped at the edge of a huge pit and saw what they had heard. A Clavat man was pinned up against a wall by the pincer of a huge, spider-like creature. Some of the monster was hidden because it was buried in the sand, but it looked like at least the top half of it was above ground. It had eight red legs, two small horns, two huge pincers, a large red face with a scary-looking mouth, and a body covered in green fur. "That's an Antlion," Nakta informed Layle.

"Aren't antlions those small beetles that dig burrows into sand and eat anything that stumbles into the pit they've created?"

"Yes, but this is obviously much bigger and more spider-like."

"Come on," Yania yelled, "we've got to save that man!" Jumping into the pit, Nakta sent two huge lightning bolts into the Antlion, causing it to drop the man. At the same time, Trookle Slowed the beast, and Layle threw the man away from the battle. Nakta drew his sword and began cutting at one of the creature's smaller legs.

Trookle, meanwhile, was sweating where he stood. "It's too big! I can't hold it for much longer!" Before Nakta could move away, the Antlion broke the spell upon it, roared in triumph, and hit Nakta aside with one of its legs. It began to move toward him, but Yania raised her hands and froze it in place. Within a second, the Antlion shattered the ice around it and raised all its legs above it. Yania managed to freeze its head, but that didn't stop it from attacking. Using Gravity, Layle grabbed the female Clavat and threw her out of the way just as its legs smashed the ground where she had once stood. The impact caused the ground around it to shake, and Trookle fell over from the small quake. Seeing the Lilty on the ground, the Antlion moved over and snapped at him with its pincers. Trookle Slowed it for a second, allowing Layle to throw him out of harm's way. Unfortunately, Layle was near the Lilty, and the Antlion broke the barriers of the purple aura and slashed at Layle. Flying through the air, Layle smashed into a rock wall of the pit and fell into the sand with a grunt.

_Damn! I can help the others, but I can't even defend myself or hurt it! There must be something that I can do. _Wondering if the lower half of the Antlion, which was still in the sand, might be its weak point, Layle tried to pull the monster out of the sand. But it was too large and heavy, and nothing happened to the creature. _I need something to throw at it! _As if on cue, two scorpions popped out of the sand next to Nakta. _Perfect! _Before they stabbed Nakta in the back, Layle grabbed them and threw them into the Antlion. Roaring, the Antlion saw that both the scorpions and Layle's hand had blue auras around them, and it charged at Layle. Nakta tried to stop it, but the Antlion knocked him aside, causing his sword to go spinning into the sky.

Layle didn't have much time before the Antlion would be upon him. He grabbed the scorpions again and threw them into the Antlion's face, but the massive creature slashed them into pieces with its pincers and pushed onward. Suddenly, Nakta's sword came out of the sky and slid into the sand next to Layle. Seeing the sword, an idea formed in his mind and he decided to act on it. "Guys! When I say, hit it with everything you've got!" When the Antlion was only a few yards away from him and was raising its pincers, Layle yelled, "Now!" But nothing happened. _Oh no! They must not have heard me!_ The surprised Layle was rammed by the Antlion and went flying into the wall.

Then, a massive thunderbolt crashed into the Antlion's side. Roaring, it was about to turn to face Nakta when it was covered in ice by Yania. Before it could shatter the ice that had formed around it, Trookle Slowed the huge monster.

This was his time to strike! Pushing past the immense pain running through his body, Layle stood, grabbed the Antlion's head with his Bearer powers, and shoved downwards. The Antlion's pincers swung down and into the sand. As he ran toward it, Layle brought Nakta's sword to him and prepared to attack the Antlion.

Then, the creature broke through all the other spells that were holding it still. The ice around it shattered and the purple aura around it disappeared. Before it removed its head from the sand, layle grabbed onto one of its pincers. Swinging its head up, the Antlion tried to shake him off, and his fingers dug into the green fur on its back. The other Crystal Bearers were hit aside as it moved around the pit, swinging its legs, trying to pry him off of it.

All of a sudden, a huge ice block appeared around three of the Antlion's left legs. Roaring in pain, the monster broke the ice, turned toward Yania, and saw that she was right next to it. A huge leg hit her aside, and she smashed into a wall.

But Yania had managed to buy Layle some time. As it had attacked her, Layle had climbed up until he had reached the back of its head. Just as it was realizing this, Layle raised Nakta's sword above him and stabbed it into the top of the Antlion's head. The large monster screamed for several moments, then went limp, causing Layle to tumble off of its head.

Layle did not have time to celebrate, though. Looking around for his friends, he saw that Trookle and Nakta were leaning against the walls, scars covering their bodies. After a few more seconds of searching, Layle found Yania and ran to her. Blood was running down the side of her arm, and Layle quickly tore off a bit of his shirt and wrapped it around the wound on her shoulder. The female Clavat opened her eyes and smiled. "You defeated it, didn't you?"

"No, we defeated it. We all did, all four of us."

Trookle and Nakta walked up then, and they clapped each other on the shoulders and smiled. "Great job, everybody," Nakta said.

"Thank you very much!" a voice said from behind them. When they turned to look, the four Crystal Bearers saw the Clavat man from earlier. "If it hadn't been for you, I would have been part of that monster's dinner!" The man studied them for a while, then asked, "Not to be rude or anything, but why are you here? Not many people venture into the desert."

"We're searching for the Selkie Crystal."

The man laughed. "Ha! Really? That's funny, 'cause I just saw them sailing past here."

The other four's mouths dropped open. "You _saw _the Selkies leave the Lynari Island?"

"Well, actually, no. The grandfather of my grandfather's grandfather saw them leave."

Trookle grunted. "Hey, we just saved your life, so don't make fun of us!"

The man looked hurt. "I'm not, I swear! My family has been very proud of the fact that it saw where the Selkies were going, so we have always made sure to tell the next generation of the family."

Nakta stepped in front of the man. "If you know where they are, you must tell us. Please, we beg of you."

The man nodded. "Since you saved my life, I'll be happy to tell you. My ancestor who saw them followed the Selkies, and he saw them stop at Mount Kilanda. He watched them for many days, but he never saw any Selkies return to the ships. He continued to head back to Fum and resupply and then come back to Mount Kilanda. For many weeks, the boats remained there, floating, yet he saw no people leave the boats or walking on the island. One day, he went onboard every boat, and they were all empty.

"Soon after that, the boats were gone. Since he hadn't seen the Selkies in quite a while, he assumed that they had either died and monsters had cut off the ropes, or the Selkies themselves had cut the ropes and had created a home within the volcano."

The Crystal Bearers glanced at each other. "That's pretty unbelievable," Layle said. "Besides, what if the Selkies had boarded the ships again and had left?"

"They may have, but you must believe me when I say that that was the last place where my ancestor saw them! Please, you must believe me!"

"Maybe he's right," Yania said. "Maybe they did create a home on Mount Kilanda. And even if they didn't, we might find a clue there."

Nakta shrugged. "It's worth a shot." Turning to the man, he said, "Thank you for telling us this important information. But why are you here?"

"Oh, me? I heard that there was a treasure in the desert, so I decided to look for it."

"Well, try to be more careful next time."

Smiling, the Clavat nodded. "I will. Thanks again for your help."

The Crystal Bearers waved while walking away as if they didn't really care, just like Layle had done so many times. Once they were out of the pit and back on the road, Trookle stamped his foot and said, "Man, I was hoping we would find out exactly where the Selkies had gone to!"

"Relax, Trookle," Yania said. "This is better than nothing."

"But Mount Kilanda is a raging volcano, and there is sure to be a miasma stream and monsters there as well," Nakta said. "Our journey is about to become a lot more dangerous. We must be prepared for anything."

With that in mind, the four Crystal Bearers boarded their ship and set sail for Mount Kilanda.


	8. Yania's Past

Chapter Eight: Yania's Past

Once they had left Lynari Island, Nakta volunteered to steer the ship until he started feeling sleepy, and the other three went to their cabins. Layle, however, could not get to sleep and went back out onto the deck.

He opened his cabin door to see a beautiful sunset floating over the ocean, which perfectly reflected the colorful clouds and sun above it. When he had completely soaked in the sight, his eyes lowered and he saw Yania at the railing, staring at the sun. Shrugging aside his hesitation, Layle walked over to her.

Yania glanced at him and smiled. "Hey there, Layle. Could you not get to sleep?" The male Clavat nodded, and she turned back to the sunset. "Yeah, me neither."

Layle leaned against the railing. "You took a pretty bad blow today; is it too painful to sleep?"

"No, that's not it. I was just thinking about the Selkies, and I had to come out here to clear my mind. It was a good choice; the sunset's amazing." Once again, Layle silently nodded, and they both stared across the sea for a long time. It was Yania who spoke again, "You don't have to answer this if it makes you uncomfortable, but why did you come to Fum?"

Layle shrugged and unconsciously scratched the crystal on his cheek. "Back in Alfitaria, nobody cared for me. Unlike here, it is illegal to use magic, and anybody who saw my powers were frightened of me. I grew tired of that, so I decided to leave." He looked up and met Yania's eyes. "I'm glad that I did."

The female Clavat smiled. "I used to feel the same way before Olgra found me. You see, despite the fact that most people here accept and enjoy having Crystal Bearers, some would much rather be rid of us. My parents are a great example."

Layle was shocked. "Your own parents didn't like Crystal Bearers?"

Yania nodded. "They managed to endure raising me, but they hardly ever let anybody else see me and forced me to never use my powers. They treated me like I was an animal that they only kept alive because they had to. They hated me…" Yania's voice was cracking, and she looked away from Layle as her eyes began to water.

"Yania…"

Wiping away her tears, she turned back to Layle. "When I was about twelve, I ran away from them. I wasn't used to the outside world, and I had hardly any money. One day, I begged for a man to give me money, and he kicked me away. In my sadness and anger, I used my powers on him. When he managed to unfreeze himself, he might have killed me if Olgra and Nakta hadn't found me and stopped him." She took a deep breath. "I've never seen my parents since I ran away, though. Whenever I think of them, I feel so alone…I feel like a monster." Her eyes lowered, and it looked like she might begin to cry again.

Layle gripped Yania's hand, and she looked up at him. "You are no such thing, Yania. Your parents couldn't see that. All they saw was that you possessed magic, and they were afraid of such power. But they didn't see the real you; they didn't see that, beneath that terrifying power, you were a wonderful person who would only use such an ability to help others.

"And you aren't alone. You have Nakta, Trookle, Olgra, and I. We've seen the real you, and we know what kind of a person you really are. You must not think of yourself the way your parents thought of you. Because I know the truth. You aren't a monster; you're a great person and a wonderful friend."

Yania smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, Layle. That means a lot to me." Layle hugged her back, and they stood together for the longest time. When they did separate, there were more tears in her eyes, but she was still smiling. "I'm glad to have you as a friend, Layle."

He nodded and replied, "We should probably get some sleep. We'll need it if there are more monsters at Mount Kilanda." Yania nodded and smiled at him for a long moment, then wished him good night and walked away.

As Layle lay back down in his own bed, he felt like tonight had been one of the best nights he had had since he had left Alfitaria. With a grin on his face, he quickly fell asleep.

* * *

At the same as Layle drifted into slumber, Olgra sipped at a cup of hot tea Renool had just made for him. Renool sat a couple chairs away from him. Although his Clavat friend was trying to make it seem like he was just sitting there to be with Olgra, the blind Crystal Bearer had been able to figure out that he was actually reading a book. _I wonder what it must be like to read a book by yourself. _Yania had kindly read books aloud to him, but he occasionally wished that he could be alone and could actually see the words and illustrations for himself.

Out of nowhere, Olgra began to have a vision. Dropping his cup of tea, which shattered on the ground, he began to shake in his chair. Renool cried out his name and held him to the chair. The Clavat had known the four Crystal Bearers of Fum for so long that he knew what to do whenever Olgra had a vision.

When he ceased shaking, Olgra opened his sightless eyes. For a single moment, Renool thought he saw fear within the crystal eyes. "What did you see?" Renool whispered, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

Olgra smiled. "It was nothing. I just saw that Nakta, Yania, and Trookle are going to throw me a surprise party for my birthday."

Renool laughed, and the tension eased out of his body. "That's a relief."

"Indeed." Continuing to smile, the old Clavat asked, "Renool, would you mind running to the fruit store for me, please? I have a sudden craving for rainbow grapes, and I would really appreciate it if you would grab me some."

"No problem. You sure you will be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be just fine. Now run like the wind, my boy! I'm hungry for grapes!" Chuckling, Renool headed for the door. _Please, let him make it in time. _A few seconds later, he heard the door open.

Suddenly, Olgra saw a flash of green flow out of a hand and into a body. At the same time, he heard Renool scream. _No! _The green light that he saw took the form of Renool's body lying on the floor, and it shook. As he watched this, he could hear Renool thrashing on the wooden floor. Not much longer after that, the green light stopped moving and disappeared. Olgra nearly cried because he knew that Renool was dead.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the cabin, and Olgra listened closely as they neared him. He could tell exactly where the person's feet were, and the noises ceased as they entered the room. "Ah, there you are," a deep, male voice said. "We've finally found you, Crystal Bearer."

"What do you want from me?"

"Well, first off, I want to know what your power is."

Olgra nearly didn't comply, but he realized that it didn't matter. This man would probably kill him whether he told him his powers or not. "I can see magic and the future. I know what you can do, Crystal Bearer."

"I see. Well, knowing the other's powers obviously isn't helping either of us. You say you can see the future? Does that mean you knew that I would come?"

Olgra nodded. "I knew that I could not make it out in time, so I tried to send that man out before he died as well."

"But he didn't make it, as you could probably see." Olgra grimaced when he heard a hint of a laughter in the man's voice. "That is, if you were telling me the truth about seeing magic."

"Why would I lie to you? I know that you're going to kill me, so I don't care what you know."

"That is true."

When the man said and did nothing else, Olgra said, "Just get it over with, then." _I will not go on like this any longer. I will not sit here in fear, not knowing when he will kill me._

A deep chuckle emerged from the man's throat. "As you wish, old man." Olgra's vision was suddenly blinded as green light flooded out of the man's hand and shot toward him. Olgra saw the light enter him, and he gasped as his body filled with pain. Falling out of his chair, he convulsed on the wooden floor.

Despite his tremendous pain, Olgra was able to hear another person enter the room. The first man said, "Where are the other Crystal Bearers, Zinka?"

A second male voice, which was much higher than the first, answered, "They're far south of here, somewhere within the Kilanda Islands. But they're on the move."

"Damn. Well then, we'll wait until the old man's dead, then we'll grab what we came for and go find those other Crystal Bearers."

Olgra closed his eyes and silently prayed, _Please, do not let them suffer the same fate as I. Please, do not let these murderers kill them as well. _All thoughts were driven out of his mind as a huge wave of pain rolled through him, and Olgra convulsed one final time before dying.


	9. Mount Kilanda

Alright, here's another long, action-packed chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Nine: Mount Kilanda

Layle yawned and stretched his arms, then returned his hands to the controls of the ship. He hadn't realized how _boring _steering a ship could be.

A few hours ago, just before dawn, Nakta had woken Layle and asked if he would take over the ship so that Nakta could get some sleep. Layle had agreed, but now he regretted not getting Trookle to do the job for him.

Just as he was reconsidering waking Trookle, Layle saw a red glow in the distance. This wasn't the sunrise, though, for the sun was to the east and had risen a couple hours ago. The red glow was north, and Layle knew exactly what it was. _Mount Kilanda. _After turning the boat so that it faced the bright red light, Layle went to wake the others.

A few minutes later, the four Crystal Bearers anchored the ship and walked onto the island. It was nothing but a large volcano, with paths of black lava rock hovering over rivers of lava that flowed into the sea. Layle highly doubted that the Selkies or anyone else could have built a home in this desolate wasteland. From what he could tell, the largest island of the Kilanda archipelago was completely uninhabited.

By humans, anyway. Layle wasn't too surprised to see several monsters walking along the lava rock. "You know, we don't _have _to look for the Selkies here," Trookle said. "We could always look somewhere else. Better yet, we could end the search altogether."

"You know we can't do that," Yania stated. "We don't know where else to look other than here. And if we don't find the Selkies and their Crystal, Olgra's vision shall come to pass."

"How do you know that?" Trookle retorted. "How do you know somebody else isn't supposed to find them?"

"We don't," Nakta replied. "But we are the only ones who are even aware that the Selkie Crystal must be found. Plus, if anyone has the ability to find them, we do. Anyone other than our group of Crystal Bearers certainly wouldn't have been able to kill those monsters in the Lynari Desert. So don't worry, Trookle. We'll defeat these monsters, search the area, and leave. It's as easy as that." Layle was surprised that Nakta hadn't insulted the Lilty during that entire conversation.

Trookle hesitated for a second, then nodded his small head. "Let's kick some monster butt!"

"That's more like the bloodthirsty Lilty I know." Nakta chuckled as Trookle yelled at him in fury.

Yania was quick to end their argument, though. "I think those monsters heard Trookle." When the other three Crystal Bearers looked up toward the volcano, they saw that Yania was right.

Layle stepped up next to Yania and said, "Before we are forced to fight these monsters, would you mind telling me about them? I've fought ahrimans before, but these ones look a little different that the ones I've seen in Alfitaria."

"They're called lava ahrimans. They are only found here, and they have a high resistance to fire. They might even be immune to fire after growing up in such a hot climate. Lava ahrimans are able to breathe fire, and they can Slow people with a ray that is shot out of their eye.

"Those huge, black beetles are blazer beetles. Be careful, because they can move extremely fast, and their pincers and one horn are very long and strong."

"Thanks." Yania smiled and nodded, then they prepared to fight the oncoming monsters, which were four lava ahrimans and three blazer beetles. A lava ahriman shot a Slow ray at the Crystal Bearers, and the battle began as they dove out of the way. As the lava ahrimans flew around them and fired their long-distance rays, the blazer beetles scuttled forward and stabbed at Layle and Nakta. Trookle managed to slow the two front beetles and Layle threw the other one into them. When they landed on their backs and tried to roll over, Yania froze them in place and Nakta began slashing the closest one with his sword.

Unfortunately, stopping the beetles had majorly distracted the Crystal Bearers from the ahrimans. Two shot rays that Slowed Yania and Trookle, one swept down and slammed into Nakta with its legs, and another breathed fire upon Layle. Cursing for not paying attention to the quick movements of the winged creatures, Layle rolled to his feet and used Gravity to blow the fire off of his clothes. "Alright, let's get serious!" Grabbing the ahriman that had set his jacket on fire, Layle pushed it into the ground, then threw it at the blazer beetles that had been unfrozen by the fire of another ahriman. One blazer beetle rolled into a stream of lava, but the other two landed on their feet and charged at Layle. They hadn't gone far when two thunderbolts slammed into their sides and sent them rolling into a rock wall. Laughing, Nakta ran after the beetles.

By this time, the Slow effect had worn off of Yania and Trookle. The Lilty Slowed an ahriman that was about to breathe fire on Yania, and she covered it in ice. Because it was so weak to Blizzard, the lava ahriman's frozen body fell to the ground, the ice shattered, and the monster never moved again.

Layle saw that an ahriman was about to Slow Nakta and raised his hand to stop it. He was interrupted when what looked like a red squirrel popped out of the ground and scratched at Layle's legs. To his surprise, the attack was extremely painful, as if the squirrel's claws were filled with fire. Tumbling to the ground, the creature was about to bite into his neck when ice surrounded it and created an ice block around the monster. Yania ran over and helped Layle up. Before it could break out of the ice, Layle grabbed the monster and threw it into an ahriman, causing the ahriman to go tumbling into a wall and the squirrel to vanish.

"That was a lava mu," Yania explained to him. "I've seen normal mus back in Fum, but I didn't realize that there was another species here. These ones are apparently much stronger than normal mus."

"Well, let's hope no more show up." As if they had heard Layle, two more lava mus popped out of the ground. "Oh, come on!" Yania laughed, then stopped as she saw that one mu had tripped Nakta by biting a leg and that the other had jumped onto Trookle's head and was tearing at his leaves. Without a word, Yania and Layle ran to aid their friends.

"Ah! Get it off of me!" Trookle cried. Grabbing the mu, Layle tossed it aside. Sighing in relief, the Lilty said, "Thanks."

"Thank me later, help Nakta now!" Layle yelled. "He's too far away for me!"

"Right!" Swinging his hands up, Trookle Slowed the two blazer beetles heading toward Nakta while Yania froze the mu next to him. Yania helped Nakta back to his feet, and the mu unfroze itself, but Nakta managed to shoot a lightning bolt at it. The small and light mu went soaring through the air and landed in a pool of lava. Yania and Nakta turned to fight the oncoming blazer beetles and ahriman.

"They can handles themselves now," Layle told Trookle. Nodding, Trookle stopped Slowing the beetles and turned around to face the two ahrimans and mu coming toward him and Layle. "Slow the mu," Layle demanded. Listening to the Clavat's advice, Trookle created a purple aura around the mu. Layle raised his hands and made blue auras appear around the ahrimans. Shoving them into the ground, Layle picked one up and tossed it into the mu, which vanished, then grabbed both ahrimans and slammed them into each other and the rock walls until they both died.

"Man, I wish I had power over Gravity," Trookle mumbled to himself as they ran over to help Yania and Nakta. But by the time they got over there, the two Clavats had already defeated the remaining three monsters. "That wasn't quite as hard as hard as I thought it would be," Trookle admitted.

"We're not even close to the top," Nakta said as he pointed. "Who knows how many more monsters await us." Hoping that there would be none, the group of four continued up the mountain.

When they passed a couple of urns, Layle asked, "What are those for?"

"They used to raise the bridge that we're crossing right now," Yania told him. "But, long ago, Mount Kilanda had a violent eruption that slightly reshaped the land. The biggest change was that lava had covered the bridges and cooled above them, creating even higher walkways, allowing us to cross without using the urns."

"Huh." Layle was amazed at the knowledge the Bearers of Fum possessed. But his thoughts on that drifted away as he saw six coeurls, two lava ahrimans, and four other monsters carrying an axe in each hand. They looked very much like goblins.

Yania opened her mouth to begin explaining the monsters, but Layle interrupted her. "I have fought coeurls before, but what are those four creatures?"

"They're orcs. They are not as fast as goblins, but they are much, much stronger. Whatever you do, try not to get close to them."

"Got it." The monsters spotted the humans and charged. The coeurls were the quickest, so the Bearers turned their attention to these cat-like monsters first. Yania froze two in place, and Trookle Slowed two others. Nakta shot lightning bolts at the final pair, but both dodged the attacks and pounced at Nakta. Layle grabbed them and threw them away from Nakta just before their claws ripped into his flesh. One coeurl hit an ahriman, but the other landed on its feet and jumped at Layle. The yellow monster was so quick that Layle was unable to avoid being hit by it. Spinning through the air, Layle landed on his back and groaned as the wind was knocked out of him. The coeurl prepared to slash him to pieces, but he was saved by the purple aura that greatly Slowed its movements. Thrusting it away from him, Layle stood back up and dove out of the way of an ahriman's fire breath. Throwing the lava ahriman into an orc, he picked it up and forced it to breathe fire upon anything that got close to him. By doing so, he was able to kill a coeurl that jumped at him and set an orc on fire without getting too close to it. When the strong and determined orc charged at him anyway, Layle threw the ahriman into it, causing both to disappear.

The other three Crystal Bearers weren't doing so bad, either. Yania had already frozen and killed the other lava ahriman, and she was currently freezing the three orcs that were trying to attack her friends from behind. Trookle was Slowing two coeurls at a time, which Nakta would then send tumbling away by hitting them with thunderbolts, and the two would move onto the next two closest coeurls.

Unfortunately, Nakta and Trookle were attacking two different coeurls when another one pounced upon Yania. The female Clavat screamed as it crawled onto her and prepared to bite her head off, but Layle managed to throw it off before it could. Seeing that an orc was raising its axe above her, Layle pulled Yania away, causing the orc's axe to swing into the ground, creating a huge crack in the lava rock.

By bringing Yania away from the orc, he was forced to catch her in his arms before she fell on her face. Yania looked up at him, and, despite the fact that they were surrounded by monsters, Layle couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. After a few seconds, Trookle loudly cleared his throat, and Yania and Layle let go of each other. Without saying anything, they left the moment behind and once again joined the battle.

When they reentered the fight between monsters and Crystal Bearers, Yania and Layle saw that Trookle and Nakta had killed two more coeurls and another orc. But the remaining three coeurls were too much for Nakta to handle, since Trookle was Slowing the two orcs. The odds rose for them, though, when Yania froze two coeurls and Layle threw the other one into the two orcs. Nakta jumped at the coeurl on the ground and drew his sword, but an orc had gotten back on its feet and kicked him away. Because the orcs were so strong, the kick made Nakta move several yards away and slam into a wall of lava rock. Nakta bounced off the wall and landed face-down on the ground. He wasn't moving.

"Nakta!" Trookle cried. Afraid for his friend and furious at his being hurt, Trookle Slowed the orcs again, and Yania and Layle attacked the three coeurls as he kept the orcs at bay. Once they had finished off the coeurls, Yania froze the orcs in place, and Layle threw them together, killing both monsters in an explosion of small ice pieces.

Trookle immediately ran to Nakta, with Yania and Layle close behind him. "Come on, Nakta, wake up," Trookle whispered to the unmoving Clavat. "You can't die on me." There were tears in the Lilty's eyes.

The eyes of the Clavat opened, and a grin crept into Nakta's face. "I always knew you had a soft spot, Trookle."

Yania laughed in relief, and Trookle turned his head away. "Whatever." But Layle saw that the Lilty was smiling.

With a little help from Trookle and Yania, Nakta stood. "Come on. Let's finish this." Glad that they were still alive and together, the four Crystal Bearers continued to the top of the volcano.

After walking through a lava tunnel, the four came to the peak of the mountain, which was a small plateau with some lava surrounding it. But what caught the Crystal Bearers' attention was the iron giant laying in the middle of the plateau.

Because they had gotten too close, the iron giant woke and rose, creating the sound of a loud machine being started. "I've fought two of these at once before," Layle bragged. "Fighting just this one will be easy." As if it had heard Layle's challenge, the iron giant roared and raised its sword. Just as the humans were beginning to move out of the way, a loud, deep sound penetrated their ears. They grabbed their heads in pain while the iron giant looked up in confusion. Suddenly, a gigantic monster crawled up over the edge of the volcano and rammed into the iron giant. With a final, mechanical shriek, the iron giant tumbled over the opposite edge and rolled down the mountainside and into the ocean.

The huge monster, which was a bit bigger than the iron giant, threw up its arms and roared in victory. Strangely enough, this creature was wearing a large shirt and shorts that almost looked like a thin coat of armor. The beast was brownish-red, but most of its head was covered by long, white hair. A single horn protruded out of the middle of the hair, and two long teeth similar to a saber-tooth tiger's largest two teeth came out of its mouth. A giant battle-hammer lay in each of the monster's hands. Spotting them out of the corner of its eye, the creature curiously looked down at them.

"What is that thing?" Layle whispered without moving.

"It's an ogre," Yania answered him. Before she could say anything further, the ogre roared in fury and swung a hammer down at the humans. Trookle Slowed the ogre, and the four ran away before they were crushed and began hammering the huge ogre with attacks. Yania froze the ogre in several different places, and Nakta threw lightning bolts at it, but none of them seemed to affect the ogre at all. Roaring, it broke Trookle's spell on it and spun around with its arms outstretched. Nakta jumped backward and avoided a hammer, but Yania was hit by the other. The screaming woman would have fallen into a pool of lava if Layle hadn't grabbed her with Gravity and pulled her back to safety.

Yania stood and prepared to thank him, then threw up her hands. Layle felt his back and neck go cold, and he turned around to see that she had frozen two orcs right behind him.

"Thanks," Layle murmured. Yania nodded, and Layle grabbed the orcs and threw them into the ogre's face. When the orcs collided with the ogre, the ice around them broke and they fell to their deaths. Groaning in pain, the ogre was temporarily blinded by the ice shards that had penetrated its eyes.

Knowing that they probably wouldn't get a better chance than this, the Crystal Bearers attacked. Trookle Slowed its movements, Yania shoved ice at it, Nakta threw Thunder at it, and Layle stole Nakta's sword and slashed at its exposed ankles.

They seemed to be doing very well when the ogre finally opened its eyes. Giving them an ear-piercing roar, the ogre broke through all their spells and attacks and shoved its fists downwards. Its hammers smashed into the ground, creating two huge quacks that threw every one of them off balance and created craters in the ground. Layle, who was closest to the attacks, went flying past the ogre and landed on sharp lava rock. He groaned in pain, but he soon forgot about that as he realized that he was rolling toward the edge of the mountain. Reaching out for any kind of handhold, he grabbed onto a rock stuck in the slope and held on for dear life as loose lava rock slid past him.

As Layle began pulling himself back up the slope, he saw the ogre raise its two hammers far above it. The hammers glowed with a purple light, then the monster smashed its weapons together. Dozens of lightning bolts sprang out of the point where the hammers met, and chunks of rocks flew everywhere as the lightning collided with the mountaintop. Because he was so far away, Layle was not hurt by the massive Thunder attack, but all three of his friends were. When he finally reached the top of the volcano again, he saw the other Crystal Bearers lying on the lava rock, scratches covering their body. Trookle's leaves were smoking, and Nakta's arm looked slightly burnt.

The ogre also saw its three injured enemies and prepared to attack them. _No! I've got to distract it! _Without really thinking of the consequences, Layle grabbed the ogre's head and pulled himself to it. Once the ogre had realized that something was on its head, it roared and began spinning and swinging itself. As Layle held on for dear life, he hoped that his friends would be able to stop the ogre before it killed him or threw him off the mountainside. When it suddenly stopped, he immediately became worried. _This can't be good. _Right on cue, the ogre swung one of its hammers toward him. The monster had prepared itself and was moving so fast that Layle would not be able to jump off in time.

Then, when Layle's death seemed inevitable, Trookle was able to Slow the ogre. Taking advantage of the situation, Layle pushed off the ogre with his feet, did a backflip, and landed far behind the massive monster. Trookle ceased Slowing it, and its hammer rammed into its own head. Groaning, the ogre fell over. However, they had not defeated it yet. As soon as it had touched the ground with its face, it began lifting itself back up.

Fortunately, Yania and Nakta had also recovered. With a wordless war cry, Nakta grabbed the ogre's wrist and sent electricity through its body, Yania froze parts of it to the ground, and Trookle Slowed its arms so that they could not push it back up. Seeing that the arms and hands had been Slowed, Layle pulled both of the ogre's hammers out of its hands and swung them downwards into the ogre's back. After a couple minutes of brutally attacking it, the ogre let out a sigh of pain and died.

The Crystal Bearers sighed and sat, far more exhausted than they had ever been in their lives. Once he had caught his breath, Trookle said, "Wow. That was a _tough _battle."

In response, Nakta stood and kicked the ogre's side. "And it was all for nothing!" he yelled. "There aren't any Selkies here, and they've left no trace behind. We've lost our lead! We'll never find them now!"

"Nakta!" Yania exclaimed. The fuming Clavat man turned and glared at her, and she said, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we are all still alive."

He continued to glare at her for several moments, then Nakta sighed and relaxed his body. "I guess you're right."

"Now come on," Yania commanded, "we've got to get back to the boat before all this lava burns Trookle's leaves off."

"Hey!" Trookle cried out. But Yania's plan had worked; Nakta had smiled.

A smiling Yania walked up to Trookle and grabbed one of his hands, which seemed to calm him, and she gestured to the other two Clavats. When she stared at them, Trookle and Nakta held hands, as did Nakta and Layle. Once they had done that, Yania slipped her free hand into Layle's. "It doesn't matter that we didn't find the Selkie Crystal," Yania tried to convince them. "Maybe you were right, Trookle. Maybe we aren't meant to find the Selkies. But even if they aren't found, and the world does end, we must stick together. Whatever happens, we must stand as one." When the others nodded, she smiled and said, "Now let's go home. Olgra's waiting for us." Smiling with agreement, the four let go of each other's hands and walked down the mountainside and onto their ship.

Even when Layle watched the volcano fade into the distance, he did not feel a sense of loss. For Yania had included him in the group that she would die with, and Nakta and Trookle had not said anything about it. During those few moments, Layle had felt the best kind of friendship that existed.

Glad that he had met these wonderful people, Layle stepped away from the edge of the boat and headed to his cabin.


	10. A Bittersweet Reunion

Chapter Ten: A Bittersweet Reunion

Layle jumped off the ship the Crystal Bearers had stolen a few days ago, grabbed a rope with his Gravity powers, and tied it down. When they were sure that it wouldn't float away, the four walked away as if nothing had ever happened. They were hoping that the owner would find the boat before somebody else stole it.

As they headed west on the road leading to Fum, Layle heard a familiar sound. Looking upward, he saw an Alfitarian military plane in the distance. _Oh no! What's the Royal Army doing here?_ The other three Crystal Bearers had seen the plane, and Layle told them, "That's a jetfighter used by the army of Alfitaria."

"I wonder why they're here." Yania said. "Surely they aren't considering taking over Fum."

"You know," Trookle interjected, "not all Lilties want to dominate the world."

For once, Nakta nodded in agreement with the Lilty Crystal Bearer. "Maybe the new queen you were telling us about, Layle, found out about the Plains of Fum and has come to establish a good connection with us."

The plane, which was heading northwest toward Fum, suddenly turned and flew toward them. Confused at what was going on, the four stopped walking and waited to see what else the plane would do. As it grew closer, a strange idea came to Layle. _No…it couldn't be…Keiss?_ Layle quickly rejected such an idea. Keiss's plane looked like any other military jetfighter, and Layle seriously doubted that Keiss would search for him.

About a minute later, the plane flew above them and began flying in circles. Assuming that the pilot wanted to land, the Crystal Bearers got off the road so that it could be used as a runway. Three wheels popped out of the bottom of the plane, and it slowly lowered toward the road. Either the road was rough or the plane was being flown by a terrible pilot, because the plane constantly touched the ground, bounced away, and then came back toward the ground. After several hundred yards of this, the plane finally came to a stop. A person jumped out of the airship and began running toward them.

Nakta sighed. "Whoever this is, it appears that they want to talk to us. Come on, let's find out exactly what is going on here." Without saying anything more, the four walked toward the person.

As they drew closer, Layle was able to see that this running person was obviously not a Lilty. They were far too tall and thin, and they appeared to be wearing no armor, which meant that they probably weren't part of the Royal Army. A little bit later, Layle saw that it was a woman who was yelling something non-understandable at them. The sun reflected off the woman's bouncing hair, and he could see that she had short, brunette hair that was nearly red. Slowly, the female began to look more and more familiar as Layle noticed that she was wearing very short shorts, an orange tanktop, and her legs were mostly covered with strange, nearly transparent, white clothing. _That looks like…no way…it can't be Belle!_ But he knew that he wasn't seeing things. The female Selkie who had caused so much trouble in his life was running straight at him.

"Laaaaayle!" Belle called.

"You know her?" a surprised Yania asked.

Dumbfounded, Layle nodded. Before he could regain himself, Belle closed the distance between them and nearly knocked him over as she tackled him with a hug. "I thought you were dead!" she said as she nearly crushed his lungs with her hug. Stepping back, he saw that she was grinning. "I knew I would find you!"

Layle couldn't speak. He couldn't believe that Belle was here. _How did she find me?_ he wondered. It wasn't that he was angry at seeing her; he was just extremely surprised that she would look for him, especially in this place that neither of them had known about.

Belle saw the bewildered look on his face and must have interpreted it the wrong way. Putting her hands on her hips, she said, "Well, aren't you gonna say something? Or were you hoping that you would never see me again?"

Despite the fact that he didn't particularly like Belle and usually argued with her, he was so unprepared at seeing her that he replied, "No, I am glad to see you, Belle. But what are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?"

After she had finally stopped glaring at him, she shrugged. "I didn't. Some moogle named Stiltzkin told me about this land on the other side of the ocean, so I decided to look for you here." The smile returned to her face. "And I did find you! I can't believe it!" At that moment, she saw Yania and her smile disappeared. "Who's she?" Remembering that they weren't alone, she glanced around and said, "Who are these people?"

"They're my friends," Layle told her. "This is Yania, Nakta, and Trookle. Guys, this is Belle."

"Nice to meet you," Yania said.

As Trookle greeted Belle, Nakta whispered to Layle, "We need to get back to Olgra. Can she be trusted?"

Layle nodded. "She won't reveal your location to anyone. She has nothing against Crystal Bearers. But I would watch my wallet if I were you."

Smiling, Nakta said, "We must get going now, Belle." Without paying much attention to her, the four Crystal Bearers walked past the Selkie.

Now angry, she called, "What, so you're just going to leave me now?"

Stopping and half-turning toward her, Layle said, "You can tag along if you want." Without waiting to see if she would come or not, he continued forward.

"But, Layle, we need to get back to Alfitaria!" When he didn't respond, Belle angrily muttered to herself and ran after him.

As they entered the forest where the Crystal Bearers of Fum met, Belle tapped Layle's shoulder. Sighing, he turned around and asked, "Now what?"

"We go back to Alfitaria, that's what!"

Knowing this would be another long argument, Layle shook his head. "No thanks." Since he knew she would follow him, Layle continued walking deeper into the forest.

"Why not? Is it because of these friends of yours? What about your friends back at Alfitaria? What about Keiss and Althea and Cid? Althea's been worried sick about you, you know. I think she likes you, because she will never believe that you are dead. But she can't look for you because she's queen, you know, and she has duties. Cid has been complaining that his life would be a lot easier if you could help run his machines, so he obviously misses you. Keiss misses you too, even though he won't admit it, and he's willing to pay twenty thousand gil to any Selkie who finds you. And I…" Layle stopped and looked at her when she hesitated. Swallowing, she finished, "I have come here on their behalf. They all miss you, and I've come to bring you back."

Again, Layle shook his head. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "I can't go back, Belle. Did you know that people accept Crystal Bearers here? And these friends of mine are Crystal Bearers, too. Here, I can be with people who understand me and won't try to kill or arrest me every time I use my powers. Alfitaria is not a place for Crystal Bearers; Fum is."

Belle no longer looked angry, but she wasn't ready to give up. "But Althea's queen now. She may have lost her Bearer powers," Layle's face became surprised at this, but Belle didn't notice, "but she can change things. She's already begun making magic legal again."

"It doesn't matter, Belle. Even if it becomes illegal to arrest Crystal Bearers for using harmless magic, people will still discriminate against us. For my entire life, people have been scared of and angry at me for being a Crystal Bearer. But that will never happen here. I cannot go back after being in such a better place. I cannot return to the hate and fear directed toward me in Alfitaria."

Belle looked down at the ground as if she was embarrassed. She understood what Layle was feeling; she had always felt hated by the Lilties and Clavats because of her Selkie blood. But she didn't want to leave without Layle, either. Looking back up at him, she whispered with sympathy and understanding, "Layle…"

Their conversation ended as a terrifying scream sounded through the forest. Layle sprinted through the trees when he realized that the scream was Yania's. Hoping everything was alright, Belle ran after him.

Running into the Crystal Bearers' cabin, Layle stopped in the doorway. Belle nearly ran into him and was wondering why he had stopped when she saw Renool's body. Gasping, Belle closed her eyes and buried her face in Layle's shoulder. Layle was surprised; he had never seen Belle scared like this. Then again, he had never stood in front of a body with her except when Jegran had been crystallizing the Selkies, and he hadn't been close enough to see her face at that time.

Trying to comfort Belle, Layle put an arm around her, held her close to him, and circled around the Clavat's body with her. Renool did not look scarred or changed in any way, but his face was full of horror and pain.

When they had reached the end of the hallway, Layle found the rest of his friends. Yania was on her knees at the entrance to the meeting room, crying. Trookle was next to her, softly speaking to her as he gently rubbed her shoulder. After a few moments of searching, Layle found Nakta kneeling behind the table. As he came closer to Nakta, he saw what had caused Yania to cry.

In front of Nakta was Olgra's body. Layle was not surprised; he had expected Olgra to be dead when he had seen Renool. But Layle was still surprised, not because the old Crystal Bearer was dead, but because, unlike Renool, his body had changed.

The crystallized part of Olgra was missing. His eyes were gone.


	11. Nakta's Training

Chapter Eleven: Nakta's Training

The cabin where the Crystal Bearers of Fum met was quiet. Yania and Trookle were both sitting at the table, silent. Nakta had gone outside without saying anything. Layle was standing in a corner of the living room of the building.

Once the three Bearers of Fum had recovered themselves from seeing their dead friends, Nakta and Trookle had buried Olgra and Renool. Nakta, Yania, and Trookle had all said something about each of the dead Clavats before they had sealed them into the ground forever. Despite the fact that she hadn't known either of them, Belle had stood next to Layle, and they had both silently attended the funeral.

Afterwards, Yania and Trookle had sat down together and Nakta had exited the cabin. Because they had known Olgra and Renool far longer than he had, Layle had left them in peace and gone outside. Belle had followed him and said, "I'm sorry about your friends."

"Don't be."

Since she could tell Layle wasn't as traumatized as the others, Belle was comfortable enough to ask, "Where were you guys when this happened?"

Layle told her everything about Olgra's vision and their search for the Selkie Crystal. Belle put her hands on her hips and smiled. "That's pretty unbelievable, Layle."

"I know. But Olgra's powers are not to be underestimated. I think we should both put aside our doubts and trust his vision."

Belle sighed. "You just had to get yourself involved in this, didn't you? Like saving the world from Jegran wasn't enough?" When Layle didn't respond, she shrugged and said, "How about I help you out?"

Layle raised his eyebrows. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I can't just let you run off again. I've got to get you back to those people in Alfitaria who want you to return." Belle winked. "And if I help you out, you'll owe me one. Then you'll _have _to come back with me."

Layle shrugged. "I think that depends on how much you help me. But don't you think you're doing a bit much just to help out Althea, Keiss, and Cid?"

Belle wasn't willing to tell him that she hadn't actually been sent here by those people, so she replied, "I'm sure Althea will be happy to pay me for finding you. And Keiss is gonna have to pay me twenty thousand gil, so I think I'm gonna gain quite a lot from this."

_I knew she couldn't have come here just to see me._ Layle thought to himself. _She's just doing it for the money. _"Fine, you can help me. But what exactly are you planning to do?"

Belle smiled. "I'm an expert at discovering information. Besides, I'm a Selkie, so it should be pretty easy to find out where other Selkies are." Without waiting for any advice or warnings, Belle said, "Don't worry, I can handle it solo." Then she ran south toward the road where she had landed her plane.

Shaking his head, Layle was about to step back into the cabin when he saw Nakta. The Clavat with the power of Thunder was sitting on a rock, looking out into the forest. Wondering whether he could help or not, Layle walked over to him. "Hey, Nakta."

Nakta half-turned his head. "Oh. Hi, Layle." He turned back to his original position, and Layle leaned against a tree near him.

"I'm sorry about Olgra."

Nakta sighed. "I know you barely knew him, but we have known him all of our lives. In fact, I was the first one who he found. I was only ten, and he was an adult. One day, I was playing with my powers, and he walked up to me. When I asked him who he was, he said that he was just like me. He explained our similarities, and he told me that he could teach me how to control and master my powers. He told me to think about his offer and left.

"I, of course, was curious and intrigued, and I was very determined to learn from him. He came and visited my house again, and he and my parents and I spoke together. They could tell that he was kind enough and decided that they would allow him to teach me about magic. After that, he came over about once every week and helped me harness my powers and taught me how to use them in a variety of ways. As he did, he also told me many interesting things about the world, such as continental drift and tectonic plates. This continued for a couple of years, and I felt very grateful and dedicated to him.

"Then, when I was twelve, my father died from a terrible illness. His death broke my mother's heart so badly that she died shortly afterward. I was also in a state of shock, and if Olgra had not visited and taken me in soon after my mother died, I might have also died from sadness. After that, Olgra raised me as if I were his own son, and I grew to love him like a father."

Layle gripped Nakta's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"I know. I miss him, but I am very glad that we were able to spend so much time together. But I do have one regret."

"What's that?"

"Right before we left for Lynari Island, Olgra spoke in private with me. He told me that he loved me and that he knew that, after all he had seen me do, he knew I would be able to find the Selkies. But we didn't. And I am sorry that I let him down."

Layle shook his head. "You didn't let him down, Nakta. There was nothing more that we could do to find the Selkies. We were extremely lucky just by finding that man who told us to go to Mount Kilanda."

Nakta nodded. "I know. But still…" After that, the Clavat went silent.

Layle knew that there was nothing more that he could do to comfort Nakta. Patting him on the shoulder, Layle left and went back into the cabin.

A few more quiet hours passed. Yania occasionally cried, and Trookle comforted her, but Layle felt that he should let the Lilty be the only one to help her for the moment. Nakta came in and sat with Yania and Trookle after a couple hours, but he and Layle did not speak to each other. Not knowing what to do, Layle remained in the corner and said nothing.

Then, they heard Belle's plane land somewhere outside of the forest. A couple minutes later, she came rushing into the cabin. "I know where to find the Selkies!"

The four Crystal Bearers looked up at her with surprised expressions. "What do you mean?" Trookle asked.

"I mean that I found out where they probably went! You see, I went to the library of Fum, and the librarian was very surprised to see me, since I was a Selkie. While we were on that subject, I asked him if he had any idea where they might have gone. To my surprise, he said he had a few books that might help me and gave them to me. I skimmed them and found out that, hundreds of years ago, in a time when miasma poisoned the world, the Selkies tried to occupy a swamp known as Conall Curach."

"I have heard of that swamp," Nakta said. "It is west of here, within the Rebena Plains."

"Yes! And I think that, since the miasma vanished and the number of monsters lessened, they would return to Conall Curach and reattempt to inhabit it."

"What if you're wrong?" Yania asked in an unfriendly tone.

"Does it matter? What if I'm right? At least now we have another chance at finding them! If we don't do this, Olgra's vision might come true! You don't want that to happen, do you?"

That made everyone quiet for a few moments. Then, as Yania was opening her mouth to speak, Layle said, "I agree with Belle. It's worth a shot."

Belle smiled at Layle, and the others nodded. "How about we leave in the morning?" Trookle offered. "We ought to get some rest before we go traveling again."

"Sounds great!" Belle exclaimed. "Hey Layle, will you help me move my plane into the forest? I don't want anyone stealing it; Keiss would kill me if I let that happen."

As Layle followed Belle out the door, he gripped Nakta's shoulder. "It looks like you'll be able to make Olgra proud after all." Smiling, Nakta nodded, and Layle walked out of the building.

**

* * *

**

Within the port of Fum, two men jumped off a ship they had stolen and let it float away. A Clavat man saw them and yelled, "Hey! That's my ship!" Before the man could attack them or get help, one of the thieves raised his hand and shot a ball of dark green light into him. Screaming in pain, the man fell and writhed on the ground. A few seconds later, his screams turned into a gurgling sound, then he went silent and his body became still. Knowing that others would have heard the man's scream, the two thieves quickly walked away from the port.

When they were sure that they were far enough away not to be followed, one of the men turned to the other and asked, "Where are they, Zinka?"

Just as the sun rose and the new day began, Zinka replied, "They are at the place where we killed that other Crystal Bearer. But they are heading west now."

"Dammit! Why can't they just hold still and let us kill them like the old man did?"

"Calm down, Grule."

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? We just barely missed those Crystal Bearers when they sailed past us, and now they're moving away from us again! At this rate, we'll never catch up to them!"

"Maybe we won't. But Ragna and Comar will be able to."

Realizing what Zinka was planning, Grule smiled. "You're right! I completely forgot about your abilities. I apologize, Zinka." After Zinka had nodded his forgiveness, Grule said, "Go ahead and tell them. Whether they kill the Crystal Bearers or distract them long enough for us to kill them, they'll be dead soon. We can finally finish this once and for all!" Grule raised his head and laughed.

Chuckling, Zinka closed his eyes and set their plan in motion.


	12. Battle on the Plains

This chapter has got to be my favorite action chapter so far.

I am sure the readers have many questions about this story right now. What is Zinka and Grule's plan? Who are Ragna and Comar? Is the Selkie Crystal in Conall Curach? And anyone who played Crystal Bearers the game must still be wondering why Trookle has his powers and Althea doesn't. Well, don't worry; this chapter is full of answers.

Now, please enjoy reading chapter twelve! And if you do, please review.

Chapter Twelve: Battle on the Plains

When the sun rose, the group of three Clavats, one Lilty, and one Selkie left the cabin of the Crystal Bearers behind. Wishing one final time that Olgra would rest in peace, Layle turned and followed the others out of the forest.

Once they had reached the road leading west, they began their long road trip toward Conall Curach. At first, everyone was acting much like they had yesterday; quiet and sad. Olgra's death was still embedded in their memory. But it wasn't long before Trookle was trying to cheer everyone up. "Don't worry, we'll be in Conall Curach in no time!"

Of course, Trookle's statement brought out Nakta's usual self. "I don't know. It won't be easy, traveling with a short Lilty like yourself. Maybe we should have given you Belle's plane. At least then we won't have to carry you when you're tired after trying to keep up with us."

Thus began the joking arguments between Nakta and Trookle, and everybody's spirits were raised as they witnessed the two friends' energy. Yania, Nakta, and Trookle all chatted together, and Belle spoke with Layle. At first, Layle wanted to move away because he thought she would annoy him or try to convince him to come back to Alfitaria again. Instead, she inquired about what he had been doing since she had last seen him. "I can tell that you are pretty good friends with these people," Belle observed, "so you must have been through a lot together. What kind of trouble have you been getting into this time, Layle?"

Layle smiled at the familiar attitude of Belle. Even when she really did want to get an answer from somebody, she would always say something that she expected would annoy them. But, since Layle was used to it, he recognized that she was messing with him and replied, "Nothing as bad as the things you've been involved with, I'm sure." As he laughed, Belle punched him in the shoulder. But it was a fairly light punch, and he saw that she was trying to hide a smile. After joking around for a little while, he told her everything that had happened to him since his final battle with Jegran.

Belle, in return, told Layle about the changes that had occurred back in Alfitaria. Already, Althea had established a good relationship with the Yukes and was creating trade routes into their home within the Forgotten Forest. Layle was slightly surprised when she said that Keiss had refused to become High Commander of the Royal Army and had instead become the leader of the Selkie Guild, but he recalled how angry and sad Keiss had been when Vaigali died. Since Layle had killed Jegran, maybe this was Keiss's way to pay Vaigali back.

The Selkie also told Layle another surprising and interesting fact. "The crystal on Althea's chest disappeared after the Yuke Crystal was restored. She no longer has her Bearer powers. But your friend Trookle still has control over magic, which means that not all Lilty Crystal Bearers were affected by the Yukes' resurrection. Why do you think Althea lost her crystal?"

Layle shrugged and said to the others, "Belle says that the queen of Alfitaria, the Lilty Crystal Bearer that I told you about, has lost her powers."

The others were extremely amazed when they heard this. "But I still have my powers," Trookle realized.

"Yes you do, Mr. Obvious," Nakta replied. Ignoring Trookle's immediate anger, Nakta said, "You said that she was trying to Stop the Yuke spell from destroying the Lilty Crystal, correct? Maybe, by putting her magic into a Yuke spell when she herself is not a Yuke, the spell backfired upon her and destroyed her crystal."

"That's genius," Yania admitted. "They created a spell that only they could alter, and any who tried to interfere would suffer terrible consequences. By using Stop on the spell, the spell managed to shoot her magic back at her and Stop her powers from ever being used again."

"Sounds like the thoughts of a Yuke to me," Layle murmured. Content with Nakta's conclusion, the five let the matter drop. A few seconds later, Trookle remembered Nakta's insult toward him and began arguing with Nakta again. Belle laughed as Trookle began chasing Nakta, and Layle smiled. As he looked at her, her laugh and smile seemed to completely light up her face, and Layle thought she was gorgeous. The Selkie glanced at him, and she continued to smile. _Maybe her coming along wasn't so bad after all, _Layle admitted to himself.

"What are you looking at, Layle?" Belle jokingly asked.

"Someone who laughs at other people way too much." Belle put her hands on her hips and made a joking pout, and Layle couldn't help but chuckle.

Suddenly, Layle heard a loud _whoosh _and an arrow shot past his head. Acting quickly, Layle yelled at the others, jumped to the side, and looked for the attacker. About a hundred yards away, he saw two men running straight at them. From this distance, he could barely tell what they looked like, but he could see that they were male. One had very pale skin and short, blonde hair that was spiky. The other was tan and had long, black hair that ended at his shoulders. The blonde stopped, held up a bow, and shot another arrow, which Layle grabbed and threw back at them.

Behind him, Layle heard a soft groan. Looking back, Layle saw that Belle's face was full of pain and that she was clutching at her stomach. The arrow that had missed Layle had impaled itself within her stomach. "Belle!" Layle cried. She began to fall over, and he caught her and laid her down. She was about to say something, then she glanced past him and gasped. Turning, Layle saw that an arrow several feet away from him was being Slowed by Trookle. Grabbing it, Layle threw it aside and turned back to the injured Selkie.

Already, there was blood on Belle's lips. "Layle…" she whispered.

"Hold still," he commanded. Standing up, he saw that Trookle was Slowing more arrows, and Yania and Nakta were attacking the two strangers with Thunder and Blizzard. Unfortunately, the two men (who Layle could now see were Clavats) were so fast that they were able to dodge every attack. Despite his desire to stay with Belle, Layle knew he had to join the fight. _I need to stop them before they hurt anybody else. I have to protect Belle. _Yelling in fury, Layle grabbed both of his enemies and threw them into each other.

The two attackers collided and bounced off of each other. The blonde landed on his back and groaned, but the other spun in the air and landed on one foot and one knee. Yelling into the sky, the dark-haired man raised his hands and shoved them into the earth. A wave rolled through the ground around him, as if the earth were water and he was a huge rock that had smashed into it. Dozens of large cracks ran through the ground, and the violent shaking of the ground caused the others to fall.

As Layle pushed himself back up, he saw that Trookle was unconscious and that the blonde man had also stood. Swinging his hands up, a red aura appeared around the blonde's hands and around two large rocks that had split because of the unnatural earthquake. The man brought the rocks above his head. _No way, _Layle thought to himself. _Does he have the same powers as me? _As if the man had heard his thoughts, he turned to Layle and threw the rocks at him. Layle was expecting these rocks to move just as fast as anything he had ever thrown. Instead, the rocks sped at him at an amazing speed, and they had reached Layle within half a second. Landing at his feet, the rocks created a strong explosion of rock pieces that sent Layle flying backward.

The surprised Layle landed on his back and tumbled along the ground. Groaning, he ignored the bloody scratches appearing on his body and stood back up. As he did, the dark-haired man created another earthquake that knocked all of his friends over. Fortunately, Layle was far enough away that he only swayed. _Who are these guys? _Layle wondered. _They're so strong!_

Seeing that he was standing again, the blonde grabbed two more rocks and threw them at him. Prepared this time, Layle raised his hands and created a wall of Gravity in front of him that would push the rocks away from him. But his powers did not seem to be enough to stop these large, fast-moving objects, for the rocks broke through his shield. Ignoring the immense pain coming from his left shoulder, where one of the rocks had hit him, Layle stood. The blonde spotted him, laughed, and brought a gigantic boulder over his head. Layle tried to grab it and throw it out of the man's grasp, but it was too far away for him. Knowing he could not stop the man from shooting the boulder at him, Layle prepared to die.

Just as the blonde threw the boulder, a wall of purple light appeared in front of Layle. The speedy boulder hit the wall and shattered into pieces. Both the blonde and Layle were shocked, and they glanced over to see a purple aura around a Selkie man's hand. Angered at the Selkie's interference, the blonde grabbed several rocks and threw them. Throwing up his hand, the Selkie created another wall right in front of the blonde, and the rocks broke as they hit the invincible wall. Because the wall was so close, the blonde was hit by flying rock pieces and fell onto the ground. Taking advantage of the situation, Yania froze him to the earth, and Nakta shot lightning bolts at the dark-haired man. Because he had to dodge Nakta's attacks, the man was unable to create another earthquake. Screaming in fury, the man ran over to the blonde, shattered the ice, and the two ran away in defeat.

Knowing they could not catch their enemies in their weak condition, Layle, Yania, and Nakta did not chase them. Instead, Yania and Nakta ran to Trookle and Layle ran to Belle. As he knelt next to her, he saw that her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. Afraid that she was dead, Layle quickly checked her pulse and sighed when he could feel blood pumping through her veins. Just as he wondered what to do next, he heard footsteps and looked up to see the Selkie man standing next to him.

"Is she alright?" the Selkie asked him.

Layle nodded. "But she's losing a lot of blood. I need to get her back to Fum."

The man stood in silence for a few moments, as if he was pondering something. Then he said, "No. There is a city west of here that is much closer. I shall lead you there. Trust me, the people there will be able to heal her in no time." Remembering that this man had just saved his life, Layle nodded. "Now, break the arrow." Layle knew that that would help lessen any pain Belle might feel when she moved, so he did as the man said. "Now, we must hurry."

Nodding, Layle picked Belle up with Gravity and followed the Selkie. Yania and Nakta followed him with an unconscious Trookle over Nakta's shoulders, but Layle didn't notice. All he thought about was Belle. _You stupid Selkie, _Layle thought to himself, _don't you die on me now. _Hoping the Selkie man was trustworthy, the Bearers of Fum continued west into the Rebena Plains.


	13. City of the Selkies

To any who might want to review this, I would be very happy for any critique, comments, or questions that you might have for me or my story. Thanks!

Chapter Thirteen: City of the Selkies

Layle, Yania, Nakta, and the Selkie stranger ran for about an hour. While Yania and Nakta were quick to tire and had to walk every once in a while, Layle never stopped running. The Selkie man could sense the urgency within Layle, and he did not stop either. Pushing past his weariness, Layle ran even when his muscles were screaming with pain. When he could no longer hold Belle with Gravity because of too much use of his magic, he took her in his arms and continued onward. Belle never awakened, but her body began to shiver after about forty minutes. "Stay with me," Layle murmured.

Finally, after running for an hour, they reached the top of the hill and saw the city. The Selkie man remained silent and did not confirm it, but the others could tell that this was where he was bringing them. As they came closer to it, they could see that the city consisted of several small, wooden buildings that looked likes houses and shops. These wooden structures surrounded a huge, stone palace that towered above everything around it.

It was there, on top of the palace, where they saw the Selkie Crystal. Three pillars of crystal rose upward, bending toward each other. When they met together, they curved outward and back down, but ended far above the palace. These pillars had the look of a blossoming flower. The Selkie Crystal floated above the place where the pillars touched. It had the shape of a perfectly round and smooth sphere. What looked like two scimitars of crystal curved around the blue sphere, with their hilts touching beneath the sphere and their tips touching above the sphere. For that single instant when he first saw it, Layle thought the Crystal symbolized the entire Selkie race; at first, it appeared to be normal and harmless, then, when you looked closer and saw the swords, you realized that it was threatening.

A second after Layle saw the Crystal, he remembered the weight in his arms and completely forgot about the Crystal and the city. All he could think about was Belle and her pale, ghostly face. He nearly stopped running because he feared that she was dead. But then her eyes slightly opened, and she wearily looked at him. "Layle," she whispered in a tired, cracking voice. "It's so dark…so cold."

"Don't give up," Layle whispered back. "I'm going to save you. Just hang on a little longer." Belle shivered again, and she pressed her face into his shoulder. Holding her closer to him, Layle ignored the immense pain coursing through his body and pushed forward. He did not feel Belle slip back into unconsciousness, for he was too focused on reaching the city.

When they were very close to entering the city, two armed Selkies ran up to them. "Rulna, what do you think you're doing?" one of the guards asked the Selkie man with Layle. "You know we're not supposed to reveal our location to anyone!"

"I know," Rulna replied, "but I found them with this injured Selkie woman. I couldn't just let her die! Now either you let us through or you get Falkar out here."

The guards nervously glanced at Belle, then at each other. "Her wound looks pretty serious," one of them admitted. "We shouldn't waste any time. Go ahead. But these two Clavats and that Lilty need to stay."

Layle glared at the guards and prepared to throw them out of the way, but Yania gently laid her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about us," Yania told him. "We'll stay here. Trookle should be fine for now. Now go! Save Belle!" Nodding his thanks, Layle turned and dashed toward the Selkie city.

As they entered the town, Layle saw that there were dozens of Selkies crowding the streets in front of him. Rulna ordered them to move aside, and they quickly stepped away. Ignoring the surprised, frightened, and angered looks directed toward him, Layle closely followed Rulna through the streets. A couple Selkies reached out and tried to steal Layle's wallet, but he did not notice them. Fortunately, he was moving too fast for the Selkies to actually locate his wallet, and he pushed past them without losing any money.

Waving to somebody in front of them, Rulna shouted, "Falkar!" A surprised Selkie man turned and waved back. Then he saw Belle and ran toward Layle and Rulna. When they neared each other, Rulna halted and Layle did the same. "Set her down," Rulna commanded. As Layle did that, he turned to the other Selkie man and said, "Falkar, you need to help this woman."

Falkar replied, "I hope you know what you're doing, Rulna." Kneeling at Belle's side, Falkar pulled the arrow out of Belle, threw it aside, and brought his hands above her wound. A moment later, a sky blue light protruded out of his hands and into her wound. Layle's jaw dropped open as her skin grew back. Within a few seconds, the wound was gone.

Falkar stood, and Layle quickly said, "Thank you."

Nodding, Falkar turned to Rulna with a questioning look in his eyes. Sighing, Rulna told him, "I'll go talk to the Council about this. I know I shouldn't get you involved in this, but will you take her to the infirmary?"

Smiling, Falkar nodded. "Don't worry about it, Rulna. She's a Selkie; I'm sure they'll understand."

"I hope so." Gripping Layle's shoulder, Rulna gave him a reassuring smile, then walked away.

Falkar cleared his throat, and when he had Layle's attention, he said, "Your friend has lost a lot of blood. I must take her to our infirmary."

"I'm going with her," Layle replied.

Falkar smiled. "Of course you are. You look quite tired, so you should get some rest while you're there." Nodding, Layle allowed Falkar to pick Belle up and followed him to the infirmary. He watched as Falkar and a couple other Selkies made sure Belle was alright and brought her into a room within the infirmary. When they were sure she would be alright, they laid her down on a bed and left, telling Layle that they would check back on her every once in a while. After thanking them, Layle grabbed a chair and sat next to his Selkie friend. Glad that Belle was alright, Layle smiled and gripped her hand with his own.

Within a minute, he was asleep.


	14. Rebena Te Ra

I finally got around to finishing this chapter! I apologize to everyone for taking so long to update. I've been very busy recently.

Just to warn you readers, this is definitely _not _my best chapter. I was only able to write bits and pieces every once in a while rather than all at once, and it's mostly just a filler chapter that introduces my new characters and gets them back into the adventure of the story.

So, I will try to make it up to my readers in the next chapter. While this chapter was a little hard to write, I am very excited to write the next one. Now that I have more time, I will hopefully update in the next couple of days.

Enjoy the chapter and please review!

Chapter Fourteen: Rebena Te Ra

Layle woke and saw that Belle was still asleep. Knowing she would be alright, Layle stretched and decided to take a walk around the city of the Selkies. As he exited the infirmary, a Selkie guard saw him and said, "Hey, Clavat, get back here! You shouldn't be walking these streets alone." Layle didn't know whether the man was trying to protect him or insult him, but Layle felt that it might be the ladder. Throwing the guard away from him and taking the money that fell out of his pockets, Layle began to walk away.

"Layle." Sighing, Layle turned to see that Falkar was talking to him. Now that he wasn't occupied by thoughts of Belle dying, Layle saw that Falkar was a tall, young man about Layle's age with short, curly, brunette hair, a large, pointy nose, and not a single scratch on him. Layle also noticed that a part of his lower neck was crystallized. "Where are you going?"

Layle shrugged. "I needed some air." The angered guard rose and charged at Layle. A blue aura appeared around him, and Layle threw him onto the roof of a wooden structure. Turning back to Falkar, he scratched the crystal on his cheek. "I'm just trying to get along with the Selkies."

Shaking his head, Falkar replied, "You aren't going to make many friends that way."

Remembering that Falkar had greeted him, Layle inquired, "How did you know my name?"

"I was talking with your friends, and they told me your name. In case you were wondering, the Lilty is fine. Rulna has not convinced the Council to let them into the city, but I snuck some food out to them."

Ignoring the man's good deed, Layle asked, "Council?"

Falkar smiled. "I apologize for not explaining. The Council is a group of elected leaders that are our government."

"Huh," Layle said in a disbelieving tone.

The Selkie Crystal Bearer sighed. "I don't know what it's like in the Selkie Guild of Alfitaria, but we are quite controlled and work together here in Rebena Te Ra." When Layle questioningly raised his eyebrow, Falkar explained, "That is the name of this ancient town. It was once a grand city where all races could live in harmony, but it was reduced to ruins long ago. So we came here and inhabited it."

Before Layle could ask Falkar why the Selkies had decided to leave Leuda, a Selkie guard ran up to them. "Falkar!" the man exclaimed. Stopping to catch his breath, he said, "There's trouble at the entrance to the city. You must come at once!"

Worried, Falkar began running and called, "Come on, Layle!"

Layle sighed. "Can't I have just a minute of peace in my life?" Wondering why he was even doing this, Layle followed Falkar to see what was happening.

As they neared the entrance of Rebena Te Ra, they saw that Rulna was also running in that direction. "What's going on?" Falkar asked Rulna.

"I have no idea." As with Falkar, Layle was now able to pay attention to what Rulna looked like. He had short, red hair, was tall and muscular, and had a few scars covering his arm and face. Although Rulna had been wearing pants the other day, he was now wearing black shorts that allowed Layle to see that his left knee was crystallized.

_How many Crystal Bearers are there in this city? _Layle wondered. As he thought this, a Selkie woman ran up to them. She had long, blonde hair and was wearing blue short shorts and a revealing blue shirt. _Typical Selkie wear, _Layle thought. But the thing that stood out about her to Layle was the blue scar of crystal in between her right thumb and index finger.

The female Crystal Bearer asked, "Who's your friend, Rulna?"

Rulna replied, "I found him in the Rebena Plains. But that's a story for another time. Right now, we need to focus. You _can _do that, right, Luna?"

Luna sarcastically laughed, but she did not reply. Wondering who she was and what the powers of these Selkies were, Layle decided to remain silent and ask these questions at a later time.

A minute after Luna joined them, the four Crystal Bearers arrived at the entrance to Rebena Te Ra. Layle, who had been expected to see a Selkie argument or problem, was shocked to see Nakta, Yania, and Trookle battling with the two men who had attacked them yesterday. It appeared that a couple of Selkie guards had tried to help Layle's friends, but both guards had been killed. The battle was even, as Trookle was able to Slow rocks being thrown by the blonde, Nakta was able to destroy them with Thunder, and Yania could freeze both enemies in place. But the blonde and dark-haired men were strong and quick, and they were able to dodge many of Yania and Nakta's attacks.

Layle turned to Rulna. "I need to help them!"

Rulna nodded. "I will come with you."

Luna's mouth dropped open. "Are you crazy? Whoever those guys are, they're obviously very powerful! From what I can tell, they're probably Crystal Bearers! We can't just help these strangers when they're fighting such dangerous people!"

Glaring at the female Selkie, Rulna grabbed her hand and pointed at her crystallized skin. "We're both Crystal Bearers, and they are too! I will not allow them to die, and neither should you!" Without waiting for her, Rulna turned, nodded to Layle, and they ran to help the others.

"He's right," Falkar said to Luna. "It doesn't matter who they are; we should still help them." Luna sighed and nodded, and they ran after Rulna and Layle.

They appeared just in time. Just as the blonde was about to throw rocks at an unprotected Yania, Layle grabbed him and threw him into the dark-haired man. Seeing Layle, Rulna, Luna, and Falkar, the men yelled in anger and sprinted away.

"We can't let them get away!" Layle exclaimed.

"He's right," Rulna admitted. "If we don't get them now, who knows how many more times they will attack us. We can't let any more Selkies die." As Layle ran off to make sure his friends were alright, Rulna gripped Falkar and Luna's shoulders. "I know we aren't supposed to help Clavats or Lilties. But these men have seen our city and must be stopped before they kill any more people."

Both Selkies nodded, but Luna was grimacing. "I hope you know what you're doing, Rulna," Luna told him.

"Me too." By now, Layle had convinced his friends to also chase the two men, and the seven Crystal Bearers set out to catch these strange enemies of theirs.

* * *

In the port of the Plains of Fum, Varion stepped off of the ship from Costa Faguita and glanced around. _I knew it, _Varion happily thought, _the Plains of Fum did not truly vanish._

Varion was a male Yuke from the Vale of Alfitaria. Only a few weeks ago, he had been living in the Edge of Oblivion with the rest of the Yukes. But, because of Amidatelion and Layle (who all the Yukes knew about from when he had visited the Yuke Sky City), the Yukes had returned to the living world and had reinhabited the Forgotten Forest. While many Yukes were content with staying within the forest, Varion wanted to enjoy all of the world. By the second day of being back in the living world, he had already left the Forgotten Forest. He was astounded by all the buildings and people and nature of this world. Within a week, he had explored all of the Vale of Alfitaria.

But that was not enough for him. The last time the Yukes had been within this world, the Plains of Fum had been right next to the Vale. Varion knew this, and he had been determined to find out what had happened to the Plains. He had finally discovered from a moogle named Stiltzkin that it had drifted far west of the Vale. Excited at this discovery, he immediately set out across the sea in search of this place.

Now, Varion was finally at the Plains, and he was eager to see what he would find in this new land. He only hoped that he would not be rejected by the people of this land. For he was not only a Yuke, but he was a Crystal Bearer as well. Looking down at his right arm, Varion stroked the green crystal that covered part of his upper arm. Although he did not truly have a body and had worn more than one set of armor in his life, the crystal was always located on the same part of his current body of armor.

Shaking his head, Varion looked back up. It did not matter that he might be hated by the people or attacked by monsters. There was an entire continent for him to explore, and he planned to see every bit of it. Forgetting about his doubts and worries, Varion headed west into the unknown.


	15. Conall Curach

Yes! I finished yet another chapter! I love this one and really enjoyed writing it! I hope you enjoy reading it, too.

By the way, to any who want to know exactly what these locations and new monsters look like, you can find most of them at the Final Fantasy Wiki. They are all from the original Crystal Chronicles game, and they can be found at the List of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Enemies and the List of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Locations. The only monsters that look different from the ones in the original Crystal Chronicles game are the ones that were in the Crystal Bearers game and a few others that are coming up in future chapters. The only monster that looks a little different in this chapter is the ghost.

I would like to thank all of my readers and reviewers who are continuing to read my story. You are great fans! And I would like to personally thank my anonymous reviewer Garcia Helper for giving me the idea of a Yuke Crystal Bearer.

Chapter Fifteen: Conall Curach

The chase between Layle, Nakta, Trookle, Yania, Rulna, Falkar, Luna and the two men who had attacked them was long and tiring. For some reason, the two strangers never attacked them or tried to lose them; maybe they knew they would lose a battle and that they shouldn't waste their energy by sprinting. At one point, Layle, Nakta, and Rulna sprinted forward to try to catch them, but they also sped up and kept their distance. When the three of them slowed back to normal speed, so did their two enemies. It was almost as if they were trying to keep this chase going as long as they could.

Despite the fact that they were tired and still running, Nakta was too curious about the Selkies to keep silent. "I noticed that you are all Crystal Bearers," he admitted. "If I may ask, what are your powers?"

Luna smiled and winked at him. "If you can get manage to get you and me alone in a room, I'll show you _exactly _what kind of powers I have."

Nakta's mouth dropped open, and Rulna quickly intervened, "Just ignore her." Luna laughed, but Rulna did not look at her as he continued. "I have the power of Barrier; I can create walls of magic that can block just about anything. Falkar possesses the power of Cure; he can heal wounds and diseases in the blink of an eye. And Luna can use the spell of Holy, which allows her to turn ghosts into living beings and harm undead creatures." To Layle's surprise, Rulna didn't seem tired at all after having said so much while running.

Nakta was amazed at Rulna's words. "How did you know the names of your magic?"

"We haven't forgotten everything from the ancient world, Nakta. It's because of our historical knowledge that we came to Rebena Te Ra in the first place."

The two might have continued talking for a long time if Trookle hadn't interrupted them. "I know you two historians are having fun talking, but I think you should quit chatting and look ahead." For once, Nakta listened to Trookle and shut up, as did Rulna.

Not long after Trookle said that, the two men they were chasing halted. Feeling uneasy, the others stopped as well and glanced at their surroundings. The two had led them into a swamp with narrow paths of grassy ground surrounded by sticky, dark water. When Layle stared down into the water, he couldn't see a bottom. "This is Conall Curach," Rulna explained to them. "Do not step into the water. It's almost as bad as quicksand; it's so sluggish that it's extremely hard to swim, and you can easily sink."

Despite the others' desire to wait and see what their enemies would do, Trookle was eager to attack them. "Let's get them!" Trookle yelled.

Before Trookle could rush forward, Nakta grabbed his leaves and held him back. "Hang on there, you impatient Lilty. What if rushing forward is exactly what they want us to do?"

"But, Nakta-"

"You didn't think this through very well, did you?"

Trookle glared at Nakta. "Yes I did!" Nakta raised his eyebrows in a questioning and unbelieving way. "Look!" Nakta looked, and he immediately understood what Trookle meant. The blonde and dark-haired men had raised their arms above them, and a purple sphere had appeared above them and was growing larger. "I have to Slow them before something bad happens!" Trookle told Nakta.

"He's right," Nakta admitted. Knowing they didn't have much time, the seven Crystal Bearers charged at their enemies. As Layle drew closer, he saw that purple light was coming out of the two men's hands and into the sphere. He also saw that the blonde had a scar of crystal running from one shoulder to the other and the dark-haired man had one running from his right ear down his neck and to his right elbow. _Luna was right, _Layle realized, _they are Crystal Bearers. _But there was something terribly wrong; their crystals were black.

The seven other Bearers were too late. Just as Trookle managed to Slow the two men, they quit feeding purple light into the sphere. The sphere shook, then exploded, causing Layle and his friends to cover their eyes. When they looked back up, they could see that the sphere was now surrounded by miasma. Those two men had created a miasma stream! "How did they…?" Nakta began, but he was interrupted when several monsters burst out of the miasma stream and landed in front of them. Layle recognized the five fish-like sahagins, two large, orange flans, four yellow, tusked chimeras, and four electric jellyfish from his previous battles. However, there were three monsters as large as behemoths that he had never seen before, but they looked like ghosts to him. This was because each one of them were transparent, had no legs, and were floating above the ground. They all carried a red lantern in one hand and a blue lantern in the other.

The dark-haired man yelled out something that they did not understand, but the monsters reacted by turning to the seven and roaring in fury. "It appears these men have the ability to summon miasma streams and control monsters," Rulna theorized. Before he could say anything more, the monsters attacked. Trookle threw up his hands and Slowed two of the chimeras, which were the quickest of the monsters. The other two chimeras were frozen by Yania, and the Crystal Bearers charged forward to destroy these monsters while their movements were slowed by Trookle and Yania. Layle threw the two Slowed chimeras into each other, and Nakta shot lightning at them. Yania was distracted as the sahagins came near, and she began freezing them in place. Trookle Slowed the two flans, Layle threw the electric jellyfish at the sahagins, and Nakta continued to attack the chimeras with his sword and with Thunder. At one point, Nakta tried to shoot the ghosts with his powers, but the lightning passed right through their bodies.

As the Bearers from Fum and Alfitaria did this, the Selkie Crystal Bearers also joined the battle. When the chimeras tried to cast Thunder upon the Bearers, Rulna would create a Barrier that would cause the spell to hit his wall of magic rather than its real target. Luna created explosions of white light in the middle of the ghosts, which slightly hurt them and caused them to lose their transparency and turn into physical, living beings. Falkar watched and waited to Cure any of his allies who might get injured.

But their team of Crystal Bearers were so powerful that it seemed that Falkar would never need to use his magic. Once Luna had used Holy on the ghosts, Nakta shot lightning at them and Layle threw them into the huge flans. One ghost managed to dodge Nakta's attack and raised its lanterns above it. When it swung its red lantern forward, a fireball shot out of it and sped at Nakta. At the same time, it swung the blue lantern, which made a ball of ice fly at Layle. Rulna had seen the attacks, though, and quickly made two Barriers that destroyed the spells on impact. Screaming in an inhuman voice, the ghost swung both lanterns together. The blue and red combined to create a huge explosion of purple that Slowed the humans.

Fortunately, by staying far back and watching the battle, Falkar had managed to avoid being affected by the Slow spell. Dashing forward, the Selkie threw up his hands and sent blue light at his friends that Cured them and made the Slow spell vanish. Now that they were free and did not want to be Slowed a second time, Yania froze the ghost and Layle threw it into the other ghosts, and they all died in a small explosion of miasma. Layle saw that two jellyfishes were surrounded by electricity and threw them into the flans, causing the flans to be electrocuted and the jellyfishes to die from the impact. Throwing the other two jellyfishes into a couple of chimeras, Layle continued to toss the monsters into each other while Yania froze them, Trookle Slowed them, and Nakta paralyzed them with Thunder. Within moments, they had killed the remaining monsters.

They did not have time to celebrate though. After the last creature had been killed, they looked and saw that the two Crystal Bearers were running away. Determined to catch them, they continued deeper into the swamp. The land around them became soggy and unstable, and they were forced to wade through shallow water and cross wooden bridges that lay over the deep water. Rulna was able to explain how these convenient bridges had ended up here. "Long ago, the Selkies tried to inhabit this swamp. Back then, they were hated by the other races, and so they came here, where they could be left in peace. They built these bridges so that they could venture further into the swamp. But they were eventually driven out by the monsters, and they left behind all that they had created."

Rulna's story reminded Layle of when Belle had found similar information in the library of Fum and had given it to the Bearers of Fum. Layle still did not completely understand why Belle had chosen to help them. She had said it was to get Layle back to Alfitaria so that she could be rewarded by Keiss and Althea. But during their journey to the Rebena Plains, she hadn't said anything more to try and get him back to the Lilty capital.

Layle smiled as he remembered that short journey. Before then, Layle and Belle had always been forced together; Layle had been with Belle on the Alexis II because he had to steer it to safety; he had run from Lilty soldiers with her because they were both on the Wanted board and she was using him to get away from the Lilties; he had talked with and helped her in Costa Faguita and the Rivelgauge Monastery because he needed to retrieve the Crystal Idol from her; they had worked together to break the Selkies out of the Aerial Prison because both owed the Selkies a favor; Belle had come to Layle in Alfitaria because Cid needed her to deliver a message to him and Keiss; she had found him in Fum because Althea and Keiss had sent her to look for him. In all those moments, chance and circumstance had brought them together. But the journey across the Plains of Fum and Rebena was something that she had volunteered to do, and he had allowed her to come along. For the first time, they were together because they had chosen to be together. And, Layle suddenly realized, those had been the best moments he had ever experienced with her.

His thoughts of Belle were broken as he turned around the corner and saw that his enemies had stopped on an island surrounded by floating logs that were tied together in a ring around the island. Already, these Crystal Bearers with their strange, black crystals had created another miasma stream, yet they were still feeding purple light into the stream. Before Layle and his friends could get close enough to attack them, several behemoths and ghosts popped out of the miasma stream. Seeing the group of seven, the monsters roared their wordless battle cries and attacked, with the agile behemoths dashing forward and the ghosts staying put and launching Fire and Blizzard attacks from afar.

The seven humans were ready for battle, though. Rulna, Trookle, Falkar, and Yania did as the ghosts did and stayed put, using their long-range attacks to freeze and Slow enemies and defend and Cure allies. Layle, Nakta, and Luna moved offensively, with Layle throwing the frozen behemoths together, Nakta shooting the Slowed behemoths backward with lightning strikes, and Luna turning the ghosts into physical beings with Holy. Drawing two knives, Luna dodged past the behemoths with amazing speed and began slashing at the ghosts. Because there were so many monsters, the battle was longer than the previous one. Falkar was constantly using Cure, which healed Layle, Luna, and Nakta's wounds, gave them strength, and destroyed their fatigue. Layle also saw that, if enough time passed, the ghosts were able to destroy the Holy spell placed upon them and would turn transparent and invincible again.

With their large group and powerful magic, the monsters were hardly a match against the seven Crystal Bearers. But, after killing so many monsters that there were only a few behemoths and ghosts left, the blonde and dark-haired men ceased pouring purple light into the miasma stream. Smiling, the two men moved away from the island. Soon afterwards, the miasma stream shot out a huge ball that landed in the center of the island. The ball exploded in a burst of light, causing the monsters and Crystal Bearers to be temporarily blinded. When they looked back at the island, a humongous, transparent dragon was standing on the island. Releasing a deep, loud, terrifying roar, the undead Dragon Zombie flapped its wings, lifted above the island, and flew straight at Layle's group.

"Move!" Nakta ordered. Trying to get out of the way, the humans split and ran away from the path of the Dragon Zombie. Trookle attempted to Slow it, but the massive creature easily broke through the spell and continued forward. Seeing that Trookle, who was much slower than the taller Selkies and Clavat, was lagging behind, the Dragon Zombie flew toward him and breathed a large stream of red fire down upon him. A blue aura appeared around Trookle, and Layle pulled him to safety as the fire burned the remaining behemoths to ashes. The fire passed right through the bodies of the ghosts, who had returned to their transparent form.

The Dragon Zombie, who hadn't seen that Trookle had been saved by Layle, roared in victory and flew back to the island, where it could get a better viewing of its surroundings. When it was above the island, the winged monster turned around and prepared to charge again at its enemies. But before it could, Luna cast Holy upon it. The spell caught the Dragon Zombie off guard, and the bright white light of the spell blinded it. Because the spell had turned the Dragon Zombie into a creature of flesh and blood, Luna threw her knives with complete accuracy into the beast's wings. Roaring in pain, the undead monster quit flapping its injured wings and fell onto the island.

Taking this chance to attack, the Bearers charged at the Dragon Zombie. Luna pulled out two more knives and slashed at the monster's weak, physical body and Nakta struck at its face with Thunder. Because they had been hanging back in the battle with the behemoths and ghosts, Yania, Falkar, and Rulna were out of range and were now sprinting toward the Dragon Zombie.

Layle and Trookle were just about to join the battle when two rocks moving at unbelievable speeds crashed into the ground in front of them. The explosion caused them to tumble backward. While Trookle was sprawled on the ground, Layle managed to roll to his feet. What he saw, no more than five yards in front of him, was the blonde Crystal Bearer with the black crystal embedded in his shoulders.

The blonde man laughed. "Do you really think you can defeat us? You are nothing! Your magic is weak!"

Layle grimaced as he remembered how this man had powers that seemed to be the same as his, yet he could throw objects with much more power and speed than Layle could. "Who are you?" Layle demanded.

To his surprise, his enemy answered him. "My name is Comar. My long-haired friend is Ragna." Comar grabbed a rock and brought it in front of him, the red aura around it making his face glow red. "You and I are very similar. Our powers are similar." He dropped the rock and pointed at the Selkies and Clavats fighting the Dragon Zombie. "Forget about these weaklings. Their magic is nothing compared to ours. If you come with me, you can be just as powerful as I."

Layle instantly remembered that it was Comar who had nearly killed Belle. "Hmm. Sounds like an interesting offer." Comar smiled and nodded. Layle swung his hands out and grabbed two rocks. "I'll consider it once I'm finished with you!" As soon as the blue auras had appeared around the rocks, Layle threw the rocks at his enemy. Comar threw up his hands and grabbed them, and they stopped. Both blonde Crystal Bearers magically fought each other for control over these two objects. Comar's magic was truly far stronger than Layle's; within moments, Layle was sweating while Comar was hardly tired at all. A few seconds later, Comar won and pulled the rocks above his head while Layle fell to his knees in exhaustion.

"Wrong choice," Comar told him. Laughing, he swung his hands forward.

Suddenly, a purple aura appeared around each rock. When Layle glanced over, he saw that Trookle had stood and was Slowing the rocks. Because Comar had let go of the rocks and they were moving so slowly, Layle was able to grab them and throw them at Comar. As soon as Layle had thrown them, the purple auras vanished, and they hit Comar in the chest. Flying backward, Comar landed several yards away from the Lilty and Clavat.

Grimacing, Layle's blonde enemy stood and pointed at him. "You'll regret this, Crystal Bearer!" Without another word, he turned and sprinted away from them.

"Coward," Trookle murmured.

Layle smiled, then he heard a loud roar. Turning, he and Trookle saw that the Dragon Zombie had recovered and was standing. After shaking its attackers off, it roared a second time and broke through the Holy spell that Luna had placed on it. Before she could do so again, it turned and breathed out a stream of a dark green liquid, which hit both Luna and Rulna. The green liquid went into their mouth and seeped into their skin, and the two Selkies started coughing, dropped their weapons, and fell to their knees while gasping for breath.

"That's Bio!" Trookle exclaimed. When Layle raised a questioning eyebrow, the Lilty explained, "Bio is like a magical poison; it will slowly weaken you until you die. We've got to help them before they are killed!" Nodding, Layle followed the short Crystal Bearer into the battle.

Now that Luna and Rulna were out of the battle, the Dragon Zombie was clawing and biting at Yania and Nakta. Even though they were unable to attack this ghostly dragon, it was able to attack them physical attacks while it was transparent. They were doing pretty well dodging these attacks, but soon the remaining ghosts were attacking them with Fire and Blizzard spells. Nakta was knocked backward when the Dragon Zombie rammed into him, and Yania was frozen by a ghost.

Fortunately, all the monsters had forgotten about Falkar. The unharmed Selkie Cured Luna and Rulna, and they immediately rejoined the battle. Luna used Holy on both the Dragon Zombie and the ghosts, and Rulna blocked any more attacks directed toward the injured Nakta and Yania.

Roaring in fury, the Dragon Zombie turned toward the Selkies and prepared to attack them. But Luna and Rulna had bought enough time for Layle and Trookle to get in range of the creatures. With his longer range, Trookle was able to Slow the Dragon Zombie first, giving Layle enough time to move forward, grab the ghosts, and throw them into the undead dragon's face. Screaming in pain and rage, the Dragon Zombie charged at the Selkies, smashing its ghost allies in the process. Rulna created a Barrier, but all that did was slow the enraged monster. Breaking through the wall of magic, the beast slammed into the three Selkies and sent them tumbling backward. Layle grabbed them and gently brought them down to the ground.

The Dragon Zombie had seen Layle use his magic, though. Turning toward him, the huge monster roared and breathed fire at him and Trookle. Layle brought up his hands and created a wall of Gravity in front of them that pushed the fire away from them. Seeing that they were still unharmed, the Dragon Zombie prepared to charge straight at them.

But while the creature had been distracted, Yania and Nakta had moved behind it. Acting before it could move, Yania froze one of its feet to the ground and Nakta climbed up that leg. The Dragon Zombie tried to break free of the ice, but Yania continued to pour ice out of her hands and onto its foot. Realizing that she was the one holding its foot down, the Dragon Zombie growled and swung at her with its other front foot. Hitting her backward, she would have fallen into the swamp waters if Layle hadn't grabbed her with Gravity and pulled her onto land.

By this time, Nakta had crawled onto the Dragon Zombie's back. Jumping forward Nakta drew his sword and shoved it into the creature's head. But he wasn't finished; once the sword was firmly within it, Nakta sent Thunder through the blade and into the Dragon Zombie. Convulsing, the Dragon Zombie screamed as electricity coursed through its body. Then, as its skin began to smoke, it roared in agony and fell to the ground, then burst into miasma.

Gathering onto the island, Falkar Cured the wounded Crystal Bearers, and then they all sat down in exhaustion.

"That was tough," Luna admitted.

"And those two escaped," Rulna said with a sigh. "That entire time, they were just leading us here."

"But why?" Yania wondered. "Why would they lead us here, summon so many monsters, and then leave without waiting to make sure we were killed?"

Nakta shook his head. "Who knows. Maybe there's more of them. Maybe they were just distracting us so that they could go get their allies."

"We may never find out," Falkar said. "But I think we should get back to Rebena Te Ra before they launch another attack on us."

"Good idea," Trookle replied. Tired and glad to be done fighting, the Selkies, Clavats, and Lilty walked out of the swamp and toward the city of the Selkies.

* * *

Grule looked down at Rebena Te Ra, then over at Zinka, who had his eyes closed, then back at the ancient city. Annoyed and impatient, Grule was ready to head down to the city of the Selkies, but Zinka had insisted that he speak with Ragna and Comar first. Glancing once again at Zinka, he was happy to see that Zinka had opened his eyes and was now smiling at Grule. "They've brought the Bearers deep into Conall Curach. It's going to be a long time before they come back here."

"If they come back at all." Grule laughed and clapped Zinka on the shoulder. "It's a good thing you're here rather than with them, Zinka. I don't know what I would do without you."

Zinka smiled. _You mean you don't know what you would do without my powers. _He unconsciously touched the inside of his crystal ears. Because both of his ears had been entirely crystallized, Zinka had the unnatural ability of being able to hear crystals, no matter how far away they were. If the crystals were far from him, the sound they radiated was soft; if they were close, the sound was loud. He did not know why, but even if there were several crystals right next to each other and miles away from him, he could still tell exactly how far they were and how many there were.

And, because of this strange connection he felt with other crystals and possibly because part of the inside of his head was crystallized, Zinka had the power to telepathically communicate with anybody touching a crystal.

It was because of Zinka's powers that they had found the old man with the eyes of crystal. It was how they had tracked this annoying group of Crystal Bearers for so long now. And, of course, it was how they had been able to communicate with Ragna and Comar and tell them where they could ambush these Crystal Bearers.

_Without me, we couldn't have done any of this, _Zinka thought to himself. _Without me, we would be powerless. _As Zinka blocked out the loud, annoying sound that Grule's spiral-shaped crystal on his left bicep was creating, he said, "We mustn't waste our time."

Grule nodded. "Right." Knowing the Crystal Bearers could turn around at any moment, they hurriedly walked toward Rebena Te Ra.

Two Selkie guards saw them and raised their bows. "Stop right where you are!" Without stopping, Grule raised his hands and sent a dark green light into the guards. Dropping their weapons, the Selkies gasped their throats as their lungs began melting away and their heart stopped pumping. Slowly, everything in their bodies quit functioning. Within a minute, the guards were dead. By then Zinka and Grule were already past the gates of the city.

The crowds of Selkies blocking the streets stopped as they saw the two strangers. A group of soldiers drew their weapons and told them to put their hands up. Grule shot the green light into two more soldiers, and the crowds gasped as they witnessed the death of these two men. "Listen to me closely," Grule shouted so that all could hear him, "if you do not hand all your weapons over to us, I will be forced to kill more of you. We did not come here to take innocent lives; we only came here for your help." With grunts and murmuring, the soldiers dropped their weapons, and one asked what it was they needed help with. "We need you to move your Crystal," Grule answered. "I know that you have done it before, so this shouldn't be all that hard for you, right?"

Several citizens shouted at him in protest, and he shot green light at those few who he saw speak, killing eight more Selkies. "Do not question us!" Grule yelled. "If you are not willing to cooperate with us, then we will not be afraid to kill you. Now move it! Grab the Crystal!"

Zinka smiled as the Selkies unwillingly and fearfully followed Grule's orders. After several minutes (and many more murders by Grule), the Selkies had the Crystal and were moving out of Rebena Te Ra.


	16. Alone Again

Chapter Sixteen: Alone Again

As they headed back to Rebena Te Ra, the seven Crystal Bearers talked about the two men they had been chasing. After Layle had explained how he had discovered their names, Rulna said, "Comar's powers seem to be very similar to yours, Layle. I only saw a couple examples of it, though. We need to all give our personal observations to each other, and we might be able to figure out what he can do based on these observations." As the Clavats and Lilty recalled everything that they had seen Comar do, Rulna continued, "So, you have only seen him pick up and throw rocks? That makes me suspect that he might have the power of Meteor."

"Meteor?" Trookle replied.

"Meteor was not a magicite, but it _was_ a spell that could be used by many monsters in those days," Rulna explained. "I have seen Meteor used a couple of times by Bombs. Using this magic, they were able to cause a meteor to shoot through the atmosphere and into their chosen location. While it is possible Comar may have the power of Gravity, as you do, Layle, the fact that he can throw rocks at such amazing speeds makes me think he controls the spell of Meteor."

The others nodded, obviously satisfied with this answer. "What about Ragna?" Trookle asked.

This time, it was Nakta who answered. "I think he possesses the power of Quake. All I ever saw him do was shove his hands into the earth, and I immediately felt like a strong earthquake was occurring. That is the exact description of Quake: the ability to create earthquakes."

Happy to know a little bit more about their enemies, the group continued to talk with each other about their earlier battles and about the weaknesses and strengths of Ragna and Comar. Luna continued to flirt with Nakta, and the others laughed at Nakta's reactions. Yania looked slightly angry at the way Luna was acting, but she did not release that anger, and she began to accept that Luna was mostly just acting like a typical Selkie and was messing with Nakta. Nakta and Trookle teased each other as they so often did, and the Bearers from Fum, Alfitaria, and Rebena Te Ra slowly deepened their trust for each other.

Then, when they were all feeling truly happy and carefree, they saw Rebena Te Ra. Gasping, Luna exclaimed, "The Crystal! It's gone!" Wondering what could have happened, the worried Crystal Bearers ran toward the city of the Selkies. When they saw the bodies, a frightened Yania turned away and looked like she might start crying, Nakta comforted her, Trookle's mouth dropped open in shock, and the Selkies' eyes filled with rage. Only Layle was unaffected at the sight of the bodies, and he and the furious Selkies charged through the gates of the city, ready to battle whoever had killed the guards.

There was nobody to battle, though. To their shock, they couldn't see a single living being in the town. Confused and scared for their Selkie brethren, the three Selkie Crystal Bearers split apart and began searching the entire city. Layle did not search every building as they did, though; instead, he ran straight for the infirmary.

As Layle had expected, the infirmary, like the city, was empty. Layle clenched his fists in anger. _They've taken Belle!_

After that, Layle helped the others search the city for survivors. Layle knew they would not find any, but he checked every body to make sure that Belle had not been killed. Fortunately, she was not among the dead, but that did not lessen the anger building within him. Still, he did not lose all sense of reasoning; as the others continued to look for the living, he used his powers to carry the dead to the entrance of the city. Layle knew that, if he did not do so, the three Selkies would.

After they had thoroughly searched Rebena Te Ra, the group of seven met at the entrance and began burying the dead. Overall, there were about forty Selkies who had been killed. As they laid the Selkies into the earth, the Crystal Bearers did not fail to notice there was not a single scratch on any one of the bodies.

"They certainly weren't killed by any ordinary weapon," Nakta concluded. "Whoever did this is very powerful and dangerous, and magic was probably involved in the killing of these innocent Selkies."

"This is exactly what Olgra and Renool looked like," Yania told Trookle, Nakta, and Layle. "Do you think their murderers are the cause of this?"

Nakta nodded. "It is very likely. Olgra's crystal was missing then, and the Selkie Crystal is missing now."

Trookle stamped his feet in fury. "Those crystal-stealing murderers are going to pay!"

For once, Nakta did not make fun of Trookle for his short temper. Sighing, Nakta said, "But they did not leave us a path to follow."

"They probably took all the Selkies with them," Yania said. "How could they have managed to move so many people without leaving behind a single track?"

"They must have had a lot of time to conceal their tracks," Nakta guessed.

"That means that they probably did this as soon as we left," Yania determined. "Do you think they were just waiting for us to leave? What if that was why Ragna and Comar brought us to Conall Curach? Maybe they were working with whoever did this, and they were just distracting us long enough to get the Selkie Crystal."

"It's possible," Nakta admitted. "But that means that they could have brought us out of the city and attacked us all at once. Instead, they avoided us. So that means that, if we find them, we have a great chance of defeating them."

The three Bearers from Fum were happy with this conclusion, but Rulna had heard them and was quick to join the conversation. "You're assuming too much," he told them. "For all we know, it could just be a coincidence that these people attacked Rebena Te Ra while we were gone. Although it is possible, it is very unlikely that they were working with Ragna and Comar. If all the soldiers of Rebena Te Ra combined could not stand up to them, and we could barely stand up to Ragna and Comar, I'm pretty sure we would have been no match for them if they fought together."

Nodding at Ragna's words, the four continued to talk about the unseen enemies who had taken the Selkie Crystal. Layle, on the other hand, dug the Selkie graves in silence. Normally, he could probably pick up the earth and set it to the side with Gravity and be done with it. But doing this hard, natural work was helping him unleash some of his anger. Still, his mind would not cease making images of Belle. He saw her in his memories, both good and bad, and could not stop thinking about her. His mind constantly brought up the images of her when she was injured and dying, and he could clearly see in his mind's eye the various way these mysterious attackers could kill her.

Yelling in fury, Layle threw the shovel aside and used Gravity to create the rest of the graves and angrily threw the dirt aside. When the others looked at him, he said, "We need to hurry! We need to find them!"

Shocked by his sudden act of rage, the others were quiet. After several long moments, Nakta broke the silence. "Alright, Layle," he gently said. "As soon as the Selkies are buried, we'll go." Suddenly exhausted, Layle stepped away from the graves and sat down.

For a long time after that, the Selkie Crystal Bearers buried each individual Selkie and said something about him/her. Layle heard none of it and said nothing. Once he had calmed himself down, he helped the others by lifting the unburied dirt and gently placing it over the body and the grave.

When all the Selkies were buried, the seven Crystal Bearers gave them a moment of silence, then Rulna turned to Layle. "Now we can get them, Layle." Looking up, Layle saw his rage mirrored in the other's eyes. "Now we can have our revenge."

Then, just as they were preparing to leave Rebena Te Ra, a strange voice spoke within their minds. _"Those who you seek have gone where the sun rises. Follow the sound of the wind; there shall you find the answers you desire."_

Nakta, Yania, Trookle, and Layle glanced at each other. "Did you hear that?" they all said at the same time.

"Hear what?" Falkar asked.

The others turned to the Selkies in confusion. "Did you not hear it?" Nakta said.

"What?" Rulna replied.

Nakta quickly explained what they had heard. "I knew it," Luna murmured. "Clavats and Lilties _are _crazy."

The others, however, were not convinced that they had been imagining it. "What could it have been?" Trookle wondered.

"I don't know," Nakta admitted. "But it's telling us to go east."

"East?"

Nakta smiled. "It said that they've gone where the sun rises. That's in the east Trookle. Maybe you should start paying more attention to your surroundings."

Trookle angrily grumbled to himself and Nakta laughed, but Luna was quick to intervene. "You can't just listen to some voice in your head, Nakta!" she yelled. "What if it's a trap?"

The two began arguing, but Layle stood and began walking away. Confused, they ceased shouting at each other and Yania asked, "Where are you going, Layle?"

Turning, he answered, "I'm going east. It might be wrong to listen to this voice, but it's the only lead we have. And I'm not going to sit here and wait for a more realistic clue, even if this one is doubtful. Because no matter where they've gone, every second we sit doing nothing is a second they gain. We cannot afford to waste that kind of time."

Without waiting to see whether they were coming or not, Layle turned and walked away. Yania and Trookle immediately ran after him, Nakta shrugged and followed them, and the Selkies glanced at each other. Knowing that Layle was mostly right, they nodded to each other and followed the Clavat from Alfitaria. Within minutes, the city of Rebena Te Ra was lost from sight.

* * *

Zinka opened his eyes, smiled, and turned to the waiting Grule. "Well?" Grule immediately asked. "Did they buy it?"

Zinka nodded. "Already, they are heading east."

Grule laughed at the stupidity of his enemies, then glanced up as heard a familiar voice say, "So you actually did get these idiot Selkies to follow you?"

Looking up, Grule saw Ragna staring at him through his long, dark hair with cold, empty eyes. Smiling, he replied, "I can be very persuasive when I want to be."

On his other side, Comar walked up and lightly punched Grule in the shoulder. "I never doubted you for an instant, Grule." Now that they were all reunited, the four Crystal Bearers watched as the Selkies slowly carried the Selkie Crystal west across the Rebena Plains. Facing Zinka, Comar clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Well done, Zinka. Without you, we would have never been able to set this plan in motion."

Ragna was quick to end Comar's compliments toward Zinka and Grule. "There are more Crystal Bearers than we expected," he said while staring straight at Zinka. "The first time, there were only four. Now there are seven."

Zinka shook his head. "I never heard their presence. Somehow, those three are able to block out the sounds of their crystals."

"Great," Comar sighed, "now _they _can ambush _us_."

"They won't find us," Grule assured him. "Zinka used his powers to speak to them and convince them to go east. Now that we're going opposite directions, there's no way they will find us."

Zinka blinked in confusion. Comar saw and began, "Zinka, are you-?"

"Shush!" His three companions became silent, and Zinka closed his eyes, focusing. When he reopened them, they were full of surprise. "There's another Crystal Bearer in Fum," Zinka told them. "He's not moving right now, but the fact that I can hear him now means that he must be moving west."

"Then we better hurry before he catches up to us," Ragna responded. Nodding, the four gathered together and hurriedly forced the Selkies to continue moving west.


	17. Selepation Cave

Yay! I finally updated! Hooray! I love Selepation Cave! It has got to be one of my favorite levels of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

I apologize to all for the long time it took to update. I have been very busy ever since summer ended, but I have also been lazy when it comes to writing. I will try to write more, and I hope to update in less than a month this time!

Chapter Seventeen: Selepation Cave

Layle, Nakta, Yania, Trookle, Luna, Rulna, and Falkar traveled east for two days, spending one night on the side of the road. For most of the trip, the group was silent because of their deep anger at the people who had murdered Olgra, Renool, and several Selkies and had taken Belle and the other Selkies of Rebena Te Ra.

The group of seven Crystal Bearers were able to unleash their anger, though. Three times, as they walked along the road, a miasma stream appeared and they were forced to battle hordes of monsters. "When we headed west, we didn't see a single miasma stream," Nakta told the Selkies. "Somehow, the miasma is growing."

Nakta's mention of miasma got them talking about Ragna and Comar and their ability to create two miasma streams in Conall Curach. They were not certain how these two could do so, but Rulna suspected that the strange color of their crystals might have something to do with it. Still, they could not be sure, and the conversation ended without any answers to their questions.

Other than this, there was little excitement on their journey east. Pushing themselves to move quickly, they were fairly tired by the time they reached Selepation Cave.

As they approached the massive hole in the cliff that was Selepation Cave, Trookle asked, "So why are we going into this scary cave?"

Nakta sighed. "I've already explained this to you, Trookle. The voice that we heard said to 'follow the sound of the wind'. It has often been rumored that this cave is the origin of all wind. We're hoping that this is the place where the voice intended for us to go."

"But why would our enemies go into a cave?" the Lilty continued questioning

"This might be their hiding spot," Nakta guessed.

"Now we'll find out whether this voice was telling the truth or not," Luna said.

"Unless it wasn't talking about the Selepation Cave," Yania responded. Luna nodded in agreement, and the Crystal Bearers headed into the cave.

The sight they came upon was breathtaking. They were walking on a large pathway of rock that led from the entrance deeper into the cave. Below them, all they could see was darkness. Around them were tall walls of beautiful green rock, and above them were humongous stalactites that looked like large, hungry teeth.

They did not have long to enjoy the beauty of the cave, though; in front of them were two blazer beetles, four electric jellyfish, and four blue Bombs. "Those are Ice Bombs," Yania explained to Layle.

It was not long before the monsters saw the humans, and the battle began. Trookle Slowed the large blazer beetles, Layle threw the electric jellyfish into them, and Yania attempted to freeze the Ice Bombs. Unfortunately, these Bombs were invincible to ice and were unaffected by her attacks. Seeing this, she began freezing the blazer beetles while Nakta shot Thunder at the Bombs.

The blazer beetles and Bombs were very strong, though. Both species of monsters were able to easily break through the Slow and Blizzard spells cast upon them, and they were upon the humans in seconds. The beetles were extremely fast and had strong, sharp pincers that they used to slash at their enemies. Layle and Yania were attacked by the two beetles, and Layle was able to dodge the attacks, but Yania received a large gash across her left arm. With Yania screaming in pain, Layle saw what had happened to her and threw the two blazer beetles into each other. Falkar had also heard her and immediately Cured her. As the beetles stood up again, Luna jumped in front of Yania, dodged past their pincers, and started slashing at their stomachs, where they weren't protected by their heavy armor.

On the other side of the battle, the Ice Bombs were easily overpowering Nakta and Trookle. Trookle could not keep them Slowed for long, and the Bombs were ramming into the Lilty and Clavat. Just as one was going to ram into Nakta and one was going to breathe ice on Trookle, Rulna created two Barriers. The one attacking Nakta bounced off the wall of magic, and the other's ice breath harmlessly hit the wall. Roaring in fury, those two left to attack Rulna and Falkar, while the other two and the jellyfishes attacked Nakta and Trookle.

But Layle and Yania were quick to help. Because Luna was distracting the blazer beetles, the two Clavats were able to come and help their friends. Layle grabbed the two Ice Bombs that were attacking Rulna and Falkar and threw them into each other. One was able to get back up, but the other exploded, sending the first one flying over the edge of the pathway. As Layle did this, Yania froze the electric jellyfishes, allowing Nakta to kill the remaining two Bombs with his sword and with Thunder. Layle rejoined the battle and threw the jellyfishes into each other.

By the time they had killed the Bombs and electric jellyfishes, Luna had slain the blazer beetles. With Trookle cheering in victory, they continued down the pathway and headed deeper into the cave.

After a few more minutes of walking down the rock pathway, they entered another small cave where they were no longer surrounded by an endless abyss. Now, they could easily touch the walls around them and could already see the exit to this mini-cave. In the center of the cave, a beautiful waterfall fell from the ceiling and created a small, blue lake.

Next to the waterfall were the two gigas. They were manlike, but they were extremely buff, had purple skin, and the red hair coming from their head looked like a lion's mane. Roaring in fury, the gigas beat their chests with their large hands and charged at the Crystal Bearers.

As they ran toward each other, Layle noticed that there were small puddles of water within the ground around them. Before he could figure out what they were, he saw that one gigas was running straight at him. He tried to lift it up and throw it into a wall, but the creature was far too big for him to move it. Surprised, Layle was unable to dodge the gigas as it rammed into him. Soaring backward, he crashed into a rock wall and tumbled to the ground.

When Layle looked up, he saw that his friends weren't doing very well, either. The gigas were so strong that they were unaffected by Yania and Trookle's spells, and they barely noticed Nakta's Thunder attacks. Luna and Nakta both began attacking them with their blades, but the gigas were fast enough that they dodged the attacks and punched the Selkie and Clavat away from them. One saw that Falkar was Curing his injured friends, and it attempted to breathe ice upon him. Rulna was able to create a Barrier that blocked the spell, but the other gigas came up behind him and threw him into a wall. Now that Falkar was alone, the first gigas laughed and kicked him away.

As the Crystal Bearers groaned in pain and tried to stand again, several sahagins jumped out of the puddles within the cave. They began attacking the Crystal Bearers, but Layle was able to grab a few of them and throw them into the gigas. Not understanding that Layle had thrown them, the gigas screamed in anger and began attacking the sahagins. Trookle laughed at the monsters who were battling each other, but the others were quick to attack. Luna and Nakta crept up behind the gigas and shoved their blades within their purple skin, then retreated before the gigas could counterattack them. Before the gigas could charge at Luna and Nakta, Layle threw more sahagins at them, which caused the gigas to fall over. The sahagins, which were now extremely angry at the gigas, bit at the powerful purple monsters. Although the gigas were very strong and were easily killing the sahagins, there were so many that they were unable to stand back up. Slowly, the sahagins weakened the gigas and covered them with bloody teeth marks.

Knowing they would not be able to face the gigas alone, the seven Crystal Bearers reunited and quietly ran toward the exit of this small cave. Looking back one final time, they realized that dozens of sahagins had jumped out of the puddles and the waterfall and were attacking the gigas. Like a group of hungry piranhas, the sahagins ate the gigas alive. Cringing at the sight, the humans turned away and exited the cave.

The seven Crystal Bearers found themselves in a large cave similar to the one they had just exited. A cool breeze blew at them, and they realized that they were near the ocean. Looking up, they saw an opening at the end of the cave that led to the sea. But the way toward this opening was blocked by an enormous rock.

"It looks like this is the end of the cave," Falkar said. "Whoever took the Selkie Crystal didn't come here."

Then, just as the Clavats and Lilties were thinking about the voice, it spoke to them again. _"The ones you seek left this cave yesterday," _it whispered in their minds. _"Now they have gone north to a city of monsters. They have gone to be judged by the creatures of evil."_

When the voice said nothing more, Nakta told the Selkies what the voice had said. When he said that they should listen to the voice, Luna shouted, "Are you insane? We've already listened to that voice once and were nearly killed! How can you expect me to listen to it again?"

Nakta opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted as they heard a loud rumbling sound. Turning, they saw that the thing blocking the opening to the sea was not a rock. Shifting back and forth, the thing uncurled itself, bringing its legs and head out from under its body. When it was finished, they saw that they were facing a Cave Worm. The eyeless monster opened its circular mouth, revealing row upon row of sharp teeth. Lifting its massive body, the Cave Worm roared and slammed back into the ground. The Crystal Bearers fell from the impact, and the Cave Worm shot a strange, brown liquid out of its mouth. The liquid rushed into them, and they were knocked backward toward the back of the cave.

Recovering from the attack, the Crystal Bearers stood and glared at the Cave Worm. "Let's do this!" Trookle shouted. Seeing that they were charging at it, the Cave Worm shot more of the brown liquid at them. This time, they were prepared, and they easily dodged the projectile. Moving quickly, Nakta and Luna ran straight at the creature and began hammering at it with their sword and knives. Trookle attempted to Slow it, Yania froze its feet to the ground, and Layle, Rulna, and Falkar waited for their chance to assist their friends.

The Cave Worm, however, did not allow them to wait. Opening its mouth as wide as it could, it inhaled. To their surprise, the Crystal Bearers were sucked toward the Cave Worm and were unable to move away. When they were all in front of it, the Cave Worm picked up its feet and slammed into its enemies.

Because it had knocked them backward, the Cave Worm prepared to suck them back toward it. Fortunately, the Crystal Bearers were prepared. Rushing forward, Nakta threw up his hands and shot lightning into the Cave Worm's mouth, Luna threw knives into it, Trookle Slowed it, and Yania froze its mouth shut. Frustrated, the Cave Worm slammed into the walls next to it. The impact caused several stalactites above them to break off and fall toward them. Seeing the falling rocks, Layle grabbed them and threw them into the Cave Worm.

Surprised at Layle's attack, the Cave Worm was temporarily paralyzed from being hit by the massive rocks. Knowing this was their best chance, Nakta started shooting lightning bolts at it and Luna attacked it with her knives. When Layle saw that Nakta was not using his sword, he grabbed it with Gravity and pulled it to him. He charged toward the Cave Worm, but before he could attack it, it roared and shot the brown liquid at him.

Fortunately, Rulna was still in the back of the cave, waiting for his chance to help. Using Barrier, he stopped the brown liquid from colliding with Layle. Furious that Layle was still uninjured, the Cave Worm raised itself up and prepared to crush him. Using the quick instincts that had kept him alive all these years, Layle saw a stalactite far above him, grabbed it with his magical powers, and pulled himself toward it. Crashing into the ground, the Cave Worm just barely missed Layle, but it hurt both Luna and Nakta.

Looking upward, the Cave Worm saw Layle and prepared to smash itself into the walls of the cave. Knowing that this would cause him to fall, Layle tried to think of a way to save himself. But it was Yania who saved him. Running forward, she threw a stream of ice into the Cave Worm's face. Roaring in obvious fury, it broke the ice and charged at her. Trookle managed to Slow it long enough for Yania to move out of the way, and then it continued forward. When it was nearly under him, Layle let go of the stalactite, gripped the hilt of Nakta's sword with both hands, and shoved it into the Cave Worm's head. The Cave Worm stumbled and fell, causing Layle to tumble off and slam into the rocks beneath.

After that, Nakta, Luna, Trookle, and Yania all continued to attack the Cave Worm in case it was alive, but it was already dead. Falkar ran over and Cured Layle, and the seven Crystal Bearers headed toward the opening that the Cave Worm had originally been blocking.

They found themselves standing on a ledge hanging over the ocean, and they watched as the waves crashed into the rocks below. Remembering what they had come here to do, Trookle asked, "What now?"

To their complete surprise, Luna replied, "We go north." Turning to Nakta, she said, "We can listen to the voice one more time. But if we don't find them this time, we must never listen to it again. Understood?"

The others nodded, and Nakta said, "Thank you, Luna."

Luna ignored his thanks. "Come on. Let's get out of this cave." Leaving the beautiful view of the sea behind them, the Crystal Bearers exited Selepation Cave with less hope than they had entered it with.

* * *

A few miles away from Fum, on the road leading toward the Rebena Plains, Varion slowly walked west. He had found the city of Fum and had happily explored the farms of the Fields of Fum. But he was still eager to explore these lands, and so he had gone to the library, found out about the Rebena Plains, and had continued west.

Suddenly, a Clavat man came out of the trees next to the road and approached Varion. Bowing, Varion said, "Greetings, fellow traveler."

The man replied, "What are you, some kind of knight? Do you have any weapons?" Varion realized that this man must not know what Yukes were, and he shook his head. "Good. That armor sure looks expensive; why don't you go ahead and give it to me?"

Surprised, Varion said, "I can't do that."

Stepping closer, the Clavat drew a sword and said, "Sure you can. That is, if you don't want to be killed."

Shocked that this man was trying to rob him, Varion shook his head. Laughing, the Clavat jumped forward, aiming at the Yuke's neck. Afraid for his life, Varion threw up his arms and shot a ball of darkness into the man. Gasping, the Clavat fell to the ground, gripping his head, screaming in pain.

Gasping, Varion turned and ran. _Stupid, stupid Varion! _Varion had promised himself never to use his Crystal Bearer powers. But he had! This man had forced him to use this magic he had been born with, this power he had never desired. _Please, never make me use that power again!_

Suddenly, Varion felt like there were eyes watching him. Stopping, he searched the area around him, but he saw nobody. As he wondered what it was he was feeling, several images filled his mind. He saw images of four men, and, for some strange reason, he instantly knew their names: Ragna, Comar, Grule, and Zinka. More images came to him, and his interpretation of them said that he must find these four men. He must go west and speak to them.

Then, the images left him. Shocked, Varion stood and felt a tugging deep within his body. This strange feeling was tugging him west, and it made him feel that it was right to go west.

_What was that? _Varion wondered. _What is happening to me? _Trying to rid himself of this tugging feeling, he followed the road west. But this time, he was hesitant; whatever had shown him those images, whatever was causing this tugging feeling, it clearly wanted to override his thoughts so that he would go west. He must be careful not to let it consume his thoughts. He must be wary as he headed west.

Hoping he was making the right choice, Varion continued onward toward the Rebena Plains.


	18. The New Bearer

To all my faithful readers, thank you very much for your patience! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

And, if you have the time, I challenge all of my readers to guess what Varion's powers are in a review. Thanks!

Chapter Eighteen: The New Bearer

Within the middle of the Plains of Fum, the group of seven Crystal Bearers walked north. The Selkies kept mostly to themselves, and so Nakta, Yania, Trookle, and Layle spoke together as they slowly treaded toward their next location. "Why do you think they aren't speaking to us?" Trookle wondered.

"Because they don't trust the voice," Nakta concluded.

"I don't know if I completely trust it, either," Yania admitted. "I agree with Luna; after we follow the voice's latest instructions, we should never pay attention to it ever again. That is, if we don't find the Selkie Crystal at the place where we're going."

Nakta nodded in agreement, but Trookle was confused. "Where exactly are we going?"

Yania was about to answer Trookle's question when a miasma stream appeared around them. Preparing to battle any monsters that appeared, the Selkies merged with the Clavats and Lilty. Above them, the miasma stream shot out five blue spheres that, when touching the ground, transformed into five goblins. Within seconds, Yania had frozen the goblins, and Layle had thrown them together until they had each blown up in a small explosion of miasma.

Then, as they smiled at their victory, they heard the sounds of battle in the distance. Wondering who the monsters were attacking, the seven Crystal Bearers ran toward the noises. After about a minute of running, they reached the peak of a hill and saw what was happening.

In front of them, dozens of monsters were gathering around something that could not be seen by the Crystal Bearers on top of the hill. There were several bombs, goblins, and lizardmen. The lizardmen were exactly what their name implied; they were as large as normal-sized men, stood on two legs, wielded swords and bows like humans, and looked exactly like huge lizards.

A lizardman saw Layle and company and communicated with its fellow monsters. Turning toward them, the lizardmen and goblin archers raised their bows and began firing at the Crystal Bearers. The humans, however, were quick to react. Charging at the monsters, Ragna created Barriers that blocked the arrows, Trookle Slowed a couple lizardmen, Yania froze the rest, and Layle threw them all into the creatures behind them. One lizardman hit a Bomb, which then expanded and exploded, causing several monsters around it to be killed.

The gap created by the Bomb's explosion allowed Layle to see what the monsters were attacking. Within the middle of the circle of creatures was a Yuke. Like all the Yukes Layle had seen in the Yuke City, this Yuke was made of golden armor and was wearing black robes. It's helmet was round and had a long, pointed beak coming out of the front. Five small, golden spikes protruded out of the top and back of the Yuke's helmet in a line that was along the same line as its spine. On the Yuke's right arm, part of the armor appeared to be made of green crystal. _This Yuke is a Crystal Bearer,_ Layle realized.

A goblin samurai jumped toward the Yuke. Turning toward it, the Yuke shot a ball of black darkness out of its hand and into the goblin. Falling to the ground, the goblin samurai dropped its sword, gripped its head, and began screaming. Most of the monsters continued attacking the Yuke, but a couple of curious goblins walked over to the goblin samurai and observed it. For a long while, the samurai continued to hold its head and yell. Then, as if it had never felt any pain, the goblin samurai lowered its hands to its side and became silent. Curious as to why it had quit screaming, one of the observing goblins came closer and poked it. In a few quick, fluid motions, the goblin samurai grabbed its sword off of the ground, rose, and chopped off the other goblin's head. Screaming in fear, the other goblins ran away.

While he battled the creatures around the Yuke, Layle watched this happen to the goblin samurai. Shocked at what had happened, he continued to watch it. In return, the goblin samurai looked up at him with wild, wicked eyes that haunted Layle's thoughts. With drool slithering out of its mouth, the goblin samurai displayed its teeth in an evil grin, then charged at Layle. Seeing a lizardman's sword lying on the ground, Layle picked it up with Gravity and threw it at the samurai. With a disturbing, liquidy sound, the sword slid into the goblin samurai's stomach, and blood began to flow out of the wound.

But the goblin samurai did not seem to notice that it had been hurt. Continuing at a fast pace, the samurai sprinted toward Layle and swung its sword at him. Fortunately, he managed to throw the goblin samurai away from him before the sword could touch him.

By throwing the samurai back into the crowd of monsters, Layle was able to see the Yuke throw another sphere of darkness into a Bomb. Roaring in undisguised agony, the Bomb grabbed its head, grew larger, and exploded with a terrible scream of pain. Several monsters, as well as the goblin samurai that had been attacking Layle, died in the fiery explosion.

Layle, after having seen the actions of both the Bomb and the goblin samurai, stared at the Yuke in awe. _What kind of powers does this Crystal Bearer have?_ he wondered. Whatever those powers were, he suddenly felt uneasy and reconsidered helping this Yuke.

The choice Layle was thinking about was made very easy for him; a lizardman came up behind the Yuke and hit it in the back of the head with the hilt of its sword. Because the Yuke was knocked unconscious, the lizardman grabbed it and ran away carrying its body.

"No!" Yania screamed. Hearing her, the rest of the monsters turned toward the seven Crystal Bearers and pounced upon them. Using the Bombs to his advantage, Layle threw them into the nearest creatures, causing them to explode and destroy most of the remaining monsters. An arrow flew through the smoke, but Trookle managed to Slow it, giving Layle enough time to grab the arrow and throw it back at the lizardman who shot it.

Using a humanlike strategy, the lizardmen and goblin archers formed a line and shot arrows at the humans while the goblin warriors, goblin samurai, and lizardmen with swords charged forward. As Ragna, Layle, and Trookle stopped the arrows from hitting them and their comrades, Yania froze the monsters, Nakta paralyzed them with Thunder, and Luna attacked them with her knives. Falkar Cured any of his allies who became injured. Within a couple of minutes, every single monster was dead.

In the distance, Layle could just barely make out the silhouette of the lizardman carrying the Yuke.

"We have to save that Yuke!" Yania declared.

"Why?" Luna shouted in response. "Why should we go out of our way just to save this…what did you call it? A ukulele?" Layle raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had forgotten that not everybody knew what Yukes were or that they had returned to this world.

As Yania tried to think of an answer, Nakta came in and helped her out. "Because it's a Crystal Bearer, too. And, if we hurry, we can catch up to that lizardman, save that Yuke, and possibly gain another ally in the process. We can't just let him die!"

Glancing at each other, the Selkies shrugged. "Fine," Luna replied. "But you are right; we have got to hurry!"

Nodding in agreement, the Crystal Bearers ran after the Yuke and lizardman. As he followed after his friends, Layle could only hope that they were making the right decision.

* * *

Within the western part of the Rebena Plains, Zinka, Grule, Comar, and Ragna watched as the Selkies of Rebena Te Ra carried the Selkie Crystal westward.

Then, as they were enjoying doing hardly any work while the Selkies labored, they felt as if something was watching them. They instantly knew what this presence was. It was the same presence that had haunted Varion the day before, the same thing which had told him to journey west and to speak to these four Crystal Bearers.

A few seconds after they felt its eyes fall upon them, the images entered their minds. They explained to the Crystal Bearers who Varion was, what his powers were, what it had told him to do, and why they must allow him to speak with them. As soon as it had shown them enough for them to understand what they must do, the silent presence disappeared.

Knowing that they had all received the images, the four looked at each other. "This Yuke must be the fifth Crystal Bearer that you heard," Comar said to Zinka. Zinka quietly nodded in agreement.

The terse Ragna asked, "Where is he now?"

Zinka replied, "He is with the other four Crystal Bearers. They are currently heading north."

"How are we supposed to get the Yuke alone now?" Grule growled.

"It's simple," Ragna stated. "We kill the others and capture him."

Comar asked, "So, do we turn around and end this now?"

Zinka shook his head. "No. The Yuke is going to come west. He'll find us. And if those Crystal Bearers come with him, we'll be ready for them." Smiling at the thought of killing these Crystal Bearers and stealing their crystals, the four Crystal Bearers began plotting their deadly plan.


	19. Daemon's Court

Surprise!

I am so glad to be writing again! I finally started writing this about a week ago, and it was so fun! During the beginning, I felt a little rusty, but the rest of the chapter was amazingly fun to write!

I apologize to all my readers for the three-month delay. Hopefully that will not happen again.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

Chapter Nineteen: Daemon's Court

As they ran after the lizardman, Layle could not help but think about the Yuke it was carrying.

At first, he could only think of its powers. With memories of the goblin samurai and Bomb who had both screamed in pain and died because of the Yuke's powers, Layle could not help but feel that this Crystal Bearer was evil. The deaths caused by the strange, dark spheres of magic reminded Layle far too much of the murders committed by Jegran. What if this Yuke was the exact same? What if he, like both Jegran and Blaze, was a Crystal Bearer who used his powers in evil, selfish acts?

Then Layle realized that he was assuming way too much. He did not know this Yuke at all, so he should not already be considering it to be either evil or good. Also, he remembered that no Crystal Bearers had a choice, that all were involuntarily given their powers, even Jegran. Just because the Yuke might have "evil" powers did not mean that it, too, was evil.

Just as Layle concluded that he would just have to see whether this Yuke was good or not after they rescued it, he saw the walls. They were at least fifty feet tall, and they were topped with wooden spikes that could easily puncture the flesh of any who attempted to scale the stone walls. As they neared the towering structure, Layle noticed that catapults and ballistae lined the walls. Patrolling the walls were dozens of lizardmen.

The lizardman ahead of them screamed out something in a language that Layle was unable to comprehend, and the gates that led into the walls opened. At the same time, the lizardmen manning the walls all ran to the front wall and prepared to defend it and the gate. Wasting no time, the lizardman with the Yuke ran into the fortress.

It was then, as the gate was closing behind the lizardman, that the humans charged toward the fortress, and the battle began.

Raising their bows, the lizardmen began by shooting arrows and throwing javelins toward the Crystal Bearers. Dozens of these projectiles rained down upon them, but it was all to no avail; Rulna protected every one of them by using Barrier. Now infuriated, the lizardmen roared in fury and released another wave of arrows and javelins. When this also failed to kill Layle and his friends, they unleashed another wave as well as the catapults. As Rulna continued to use Barrier, Trookle Slowed several projectiles, and Layle threw them aside. Once they were close enough, the lizardmen resorted to the ballistae, as well. Although these weapons were both fast and powerful, they were still unable to break Rulna's Barriers.

When they were getting very close to the gate, Luna shouted, "Layle! Open the gate!" Nodding to her, Layle grabbed the gate with his bearer powers and pulled. Yelling out in determination, he broke the locks of the gate and threw it open. Luna, in response, dashed forward and through the opening. She was met by several lizardmen armed with swords, but she managed to kill a few and agilely slip by the rest. Jumping up the wooden stairs, she came up onto the wall and immediately began deposing of the archers.

By distracting the lizardmen on one side of the wall, Luna allowed the others to gain entry and attack the rest of the lizardmen army. Trookle, Layle, and Rulna ran up the other set of stairs and fought another group of lizardmen, with Trookle Slowing them, Rulna blocking their attacks, and Layle throwing them into each other or over the edge of the wall.

Yania, Nakta, and Falkar headed for the catapults. Raising his hands in front of him, Nakta shot two powerful lightning bolts out of his hand and into each catapult, causing them to collapse in small explosions of Thunder. When several lizardmen soldiers tried to stop him, Yania froze them, allowing Nakta to destroy the catapults and then finish the lizardmen with his sword.

This chaotic battle between the seven Crystal Bearers and lizardmen lasted for several minutes. Once they were done with the catapults, Falkar, Nakta, and Yania ran to help Luna. However, by the time they got there, she was already done with her enemies, as were the rest of the Crystal Bearers. Surprised that they had been able to win that arduous battle, they sat and rested while Falkar Cured them.

While they waited for Falkar to finish, Luna drew a key out of her pocket. "One of the lizardmen dropped this," she explained. They all looked up at the huge, circular structure within the middle of the fortress. At the front of the orange tent, a dragon's head had been carved into the stone. "The Yuke must have been taken in there," Luna concluded. Wondering what lay ahead of them, they walked up to the dragon head, where Luna inserted the key into a lock embedded within the teeth. Instead of opening like a normal door, the teeth retracted, allowing the humans to enter the mysterious building. As Yania came last through the opening, the teeth instantly closed behind her.

After walking through a short, dark tunnel, they found themselves within a circular pit of sand. A tall stone wall surrounded them, and above them they could clearly see the night sky. Beyond that, nothing could be seen because of the darkness. "What the…?" Luna began, but was interrupted as a stone slab slid over the tunnel they had just exited.

Suddenly, several torches became lit as Fire spells struck them. Now, the Crystal Bearers could easily see that above the stone walls were dozens of rows of seats, and in them were lizardmen. Across from them, sitting in a gigantic throne made of gold, was the Lizardman King. As tall as an elephant, he looked as menacing and powerful as a tyrannosaurus rex. With two horns atop his head and one upon his nose (like that of a rhino's), as well as an open jaw full of sharp teeth and evil, orange eyes that looked like flames, the Lizardman King looked very dangerous indeed.

Standing, the Lizardman King said something in a deep, guttural voice in the lizardman language. In response, the lizardmen cheered in delight.

"It's an arena," Nakta realized.

"What the heck were these guys doing while we came through the gate?" Falkar wondered.

"They must have been eager for a show," Rulna predicted. "Maybe they sacrificed the guards in order to weaken us."

"Weaken us for what?" Trookle nervously exclaimed.

As if it had heard him, the Lizardman King smiled and gestured to a lizardman standing next to him. Bowing, the lizardman grabbed a lever and pushed it forward. Beneath the Lizardman King, a gate slowly opened. Before it was completely open, ten coeurls snuck under it and growled at the Crystal Bearers. "Ha!" Layle shouted. "This is going to be a piece of cake!"

With amazing speed, the felines pounced at the humans. But, as Layle had said, they were no challenge to the magic-wielding men and women. Within the blink of an eye, Yania had frozen two coeurls, Trookle was Slowing two, and Rulna had thrown up a Barrier that one coeurl slammed into. Nakta electrified two with Thunder and Layle grabbed two more and threw them into each other. The last one was headed for Luna, who managed to roll to the side and slip her knives into the coeurl's neck as it soared past her. She continued on to kill the two that Trookle was Slowing, and Layle threw the frozen ones into the coeurl that had collided with the Barrier.

Laughing at their easy victory, the Crystal Bearers turned to the audience. Several lizardmen were booing, while many were cheering for more. Obviously angry that they were still alive, the Lizardman King roared and threw up his hands. The lizardmen surrounding him raised their hands as well and cast a huge Barrier between the Selkies and the other four. Then, the two gates on the left and right side of the arena opened, and a Cerberus emerged out of each one.

Growling with undisguised hatred, the gray Cerberus glared at Layle with angry, blue eyes. It looked like a gigantic, muscular dog with forelegs that were larger than its hind legs. On each leg were shackles and chains, and on its neck was a spiked collar, meaning that the lizardmen had chained the Cerberus up before unleashing it into the arena. It's humongous claws digging into the sand, the Cerberus charged toward the three Clavats and one Lilty. Trookle tried to Slow it, but it easily broke through the spell and continued to gallop toward them. Nakta threw two lightning bolts into its face, which temporarily blinded it, allowing the four to move out of the way. The Cerberus slammed into the Barrier dividing the arena in half, yet it seemed unaffected by the collision. When it turned around, Yania tried to freeze it in place, but it was able to break the ice with a single flex of its muscles. Roaring in fury, the large canine stood up on its hind legs, then smashed its forelegs into the ground. The entire arena shook as if it had been struck by Ragna's Quake spell, causing the Crystal Bearers to fall to the ground. Using this to its advantage, the Cerberus ran straight at Layle.

On the other side of the arena, Ragna had been holding the Cerberus at bay with his Barriers, but the beast's massive power was weakening him. The other Cerberus's Quake caused him and the other Selkies to fall to the ground, making Ragna lose control of the Barriers and allowing the Cerberus to break through them. Knowing that it was him who had created the Barriers, the Cerberus sprinted toward him. It would have crushed him if Luna had not jumped onto its back and stabbed two knives under its shoulder blades. It's forelegs suddenly weakened, the Cerberus collapsed to the ground and rolled across the arena, with Luna dismounting just barely in time. Before it could recover, she threw four knives at it. Two slipped into its neck, one penetrated its nose, and the last one struck its eye. Screaming in pain, the Cerberus stood and charged at Luna. Waiting for it to near her, she whipped out two knives and jumped over the Cerberus's snapping teeth. As she began to spin through the air, she stabbed her knives behind its ears and into its head. With the Cerberus tumbling past her, she landed after completing a flip. The creature managed to let out one final, sad whimper before she finished it off with a knife in its heart.

With no time to even stand, Layle grabbed a large amount of sand using Gravity and threw it into the moving Cerberus's face. Blinded by the sand, the humongous dog missed Layle as he rolled away from its path. Learning from its previous mistake, it came to a halt before it crashed into the arena wall. As it tried to remove the sand from its eyes, Layle noticed a lizardman running into the arena. It halted at a corner of the arena, and several spinning saws emerged from the sand. They were heading for Trookle. Layle managed to pull the Lilty out of harm's way, and then the Cerberus rammed into him.

For a moment, he lost consciousness. Then, as his eyes reopened, he felt a tremendous amount of pain in his side. As he sat up, he became dizzy. Trying to ignore his massive headache, he gingerly touched his chest and groaned when it brought him pain. He must have cracked a rib or two. Suddenly remembering the Cerberus, he saw it clawing at Nakta as he struck it with his sword and Thunder attacks. Glancing around the rest of the arena, he saw the Selkies trying to destroy the Barrier between them, and he watched as Trookle and Yania tried to Slow and freeze the Cerberus.

Knowing he had to help them, Layle stood and gasped as pain burned through his body. _Come on Layle_, he told himself, _you can do this. It's not like this is the first time you've broken a rib._

Taking a deep breath, he continued onward. Seeing that the lizardman who had entered the arena was preparing to throw a javelin at him, he grabbed the creature and threw it into the Cerberus. While this caused the lizardman to die, it hardly wounded the Cerberus at all. But it still noticed the body colliding with it. Knocking Nakta aside with a paw, the monster turned and roared at Layle.

"Uh-oh," Layle murmured. Then, as he was backing up, he saw a red button to his left. Realizing that the lizardman had previously been standing there, Layle ran for the button. Infuriated, the Cerberus rushed at him. Knowing he was running out of time, Layle quickened his pace and yelled out as his cracked rib sent waves of pain shooting through his body. With one final act of strength, he sprinted forward and collapsed onto the button.

The five saws jutted out of the sand, spinning toward the Cerberus. Unable to stop itself, the Cerberus screamed as the saws ripped open its chest and stomach and tore into its hind legs. With gallons of blood pouring out of its body, the Cerberus gave a final roar of defiance before falling to the red sand.

For a moment, there was complete silence. The lizardmen all looked expectantly at the Lizardman King. He hardly hesitated before nodding to a lizardman next to him, who then yelled out a command. With growls of disappointment, every single lizardman stood, grabbed a weapon, and prepared to attack the Crystal Bearers.

During the next thirty seconds, Layle only saw blurs and rapid movements around him. His pain blinding him, he could only make out the purple Barrier in front of him that seemed to be deflecting projectiles directed toward him.

Then he heard Falkar's voice, and Layle let out a sigh of relief as his wound was Cured. Instantly feeling uninjured and powerful, he jumped to his feet and took in his surroundings. The Barrier between the Selkies and the other four humans had vanished, and Layle's friends were battling with dozens of lizardmen. About two-thirds of the lizardmen were down in the arena, fighting the humans with swords, and the rest were in the seats, shooting arrows into the arena. The Lizardman King was nowhere to be seen.

Somehow, Luna had managed to gain the wall and was swiftly killing the archers. Rulna, Yania, Nakta, and Trookle were in the center of the arena. Nakta and Rulna were defending Yania and Trookle with their swords and Bearer powers, and Yania and Trookle were using their long-range abilities to Slow and freeze their enemies.

Noticing that several arrows and lizardmen were headed his way, Layle created a wall of Gravity that caused the arrows to bounce away from him and Falkar. Then, with his other hand, he grabbed lizardmen archers and threw them into the ones charging toward him.

Just when the Crystal Bearers seemed to be winning this difficult battle, a painfully loud roar shook the arena. Then Layle heard the flapping of wings and looked up to see the Lizardman King atop a dragon. Now wearing a chest plate of gold, the Lizardman King also had a weapon around each arm. On his right was a crossbow that could load five arrows at a time, and on his left was a container holding three spears.

Swooping downward, the dragon breathed fire toward Nakta, Rulna, Trookle, and Yania. While this attack set many of his own men, it didn't even touch his four enemies because of Rulna's Barrier. Seeing Luna alone above the arena, the dragon released a cloud of flames upon her. With no other choice, Luna hurtled the wall and fell into the arena, shoving her knives into the heads of two unexpecting lizardmen.

Flying high into the sky, the dragon dropped down and landed in the arena, attempting to crush Nakta and the three with him. Knowing that Rulna's Barriers would be unable to stop this attack, Layle grabbed his four companions and threw them out from under the dragon. Smashing into the sand pit, the dragon crushed at least a score of lizardmen. Seeing its enemies in the corner of its eye, the dragon turned around, killing another dozen monsters with the swing of its tail.

As his steed clawed at the Crystal Bearers, the Lizardman King raised up his crossbow and unleashed five arrows. Rulna managed to block a couple with two Barriers, one hit the ground where Luna had previously been standing, and the other two hit lizardmen that Layle had thrown in the way. Within seconds, the magnificent weapon had reloaded itself.

Using her momentum from dodging the arrow, Luna continued toward the dragon. It swung a foot at her, but she rolled under it and then sprung upward and plunged her knives under the scales beneath its jaw. Roaring, the dragon violently thrashed upon the ground in pain, knocking Luna backward. Once Falkar had Cured her, she was up and at it again, charging straight for the dragon. Dodging its claws and tail, as well as another round of the Lizardman King's arrows, she stabbed her blades into the dragon's side. Groaning in agony, the dragon tried to turn around to see Luna. Then, with its back turned toward him, Rulna stabbed his own blade into its foot. Turning, the dragon faced the male Selkie and roared.

Unfortunately for the dragon, it did not see Nakta approaching from the side. Jumping in front of it, Nakta threw his hands up and sent a huge ball of Thunder into its open mouth. Trembling from the electricity coursing through its body, the dragon gave one last shudder before collapsing.

Bellowing with fury, the Lizardman King jumped off of the smoking corpse of the dragon and ran straight for Nakta. Raising his left hand, he shot a spear at the Clavat. Thanks to Trookle's Slow spell, Nakta was able to dodge the spear. A rope ran from the spear-carrier to the spear, and the Lizardman King pressed a button which brought the spear speeding back into the spear-carrier. Seeing that Nakta, Rulna, and Luna were all charging at him, he shot two of his spears at Nakta and Rulna and fired his five arrows toward Luna. Rulna created Barriers for both Nakta and himself, and Luna slipped in between the arrows.

After the arrows had missed her, Luna pounced at the Lizardman King. But he was ready for her, and he knocked her aside with his left hand. Within the blink of an eye, she was on the ground, and he had moved to stand above her. He then stomped one of her arms with one of his huge feet. Screaming as he crushed her arm bones, she used her other hand to stab a knife into his foot. Growling in a deep, pained tone, he raised his left arm and shot a spear into her chest. Luna's mouth opened in a soundless scream, and then she went limp.

"NOOOOOOO!" The Lizardman King was only able to half-turn toward the sound when Rulna crashed into him and shoved his blade under his arm, where there was a space in the armor. Surprised by the strong attack, the King yelped and stumbled to the ground. Raising his sword high above him, yelling in an insane rage, Rulna lowered his blade and chopped off the King's tail.

Screeching in an inhumane voice, the Lizardman King reached behind himself, trying to stop the blood from flowing out of his tail. But he did not have time to deal with its injury. Rulna was quickly upon him and stabbed his sword into the creature's back. Desperate to get him off, the Lizardman King clawed at its back and stumbled about the arena, trying to shake him off. Rulna received claw mark after claw mark, yet he continued to barrage the King with attacks.

In the rest of the arena, the Crystal Bearers were not doing so well. Falkar had been knocked unconscious, so Yania and Layle were busy defending him while Trookle and Nakta guarded Luna. Although the lizardmen's numbers had dwindled, there were still at least fifty of them. Layle was able to easily kill the lizardmen directly attacking him, but he was not used to working as a team. Behind him, Yania was weakening, and Layle was struggling as he helped her deal with their enemies. Trookle and Nakta, however, were a great team; while Trookle Slowed the opponents, Nakta slew them with his sword and Thunder spells. They moved together like a living piece of art, and their foes were unable to touch them.

Then, when Layle and Yania were being overpowered and all seemed lost, the Lilty and Clavat finished with their lizardmen and ran to help their friends. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past Nakta and Trookle and buried itself in the sand. Layle glanced upward to see that a few archers were still on top of the wall of the arena. _Not in my book_, Layle thought to himself. Grabbing the archers, he threw them all into the lizardmen surrounding him, killing at least a dozen more monsters.

Now, with only a few lizardmen left and with the aid of Nakta and Trookle, Layle was able to witness the battle between Rulna and the Lizardman King. Both were covered in bloody scratches, but the King was desperate to survive and Rulna was determined to have his revenge. The King unexpectedly gained the upper hand when, as he reached backward with his left hand, one of his spears sank into Rulna's leg. Yelping, Rulna's grip upon the King loosened, and the beast threw him off and tossed his sword aside.

Rulna would have been killed right then if Layle had not intervened. Grabbing the four remaining lizardmen, Layle launched them as hard as he could at their master. Falling to his hands and knees from the blow, the Lizardman King was so weak that he was having trouble standing back up.

No words were spoken. The Bearers of Fum and Alfitaria needed only to glance at each other, and then they knew what must be done. Running at the King, they all used their powers at once. Yania threw a blanket of ice over him, Trookle Slowed him, Nakta paralyzed him with Thunder, and Layle held him down with Gravity. Using his free hand, Layle used his powers to bring Rulna's sword back to him. "Finish him!" they all encouraged Rulna.

Rulna looked once at the ghostly pale Luna, and then his fury returned. Ignoring the pain streaming up his leg and into his body, he stood, grabbed the sword, and thrust it into the Lizardman King's head. Because the blade passed through both his mind and his throat, the King's last sound was a gurgling noise. Layle could only imagine what sound of distress he was actually trying to make. Then, with the sword still stuck in his body, he collapsed upon the ground and was dead.

While the others stared at the King's body with exhaustion and awe, Layle was quick to move on. "Wake Falkar!" he commanded. Nakta and Yania headed for Falkar, and Trookle followed Layle toward Luna. Ripping off some of his shirt, he began to wrap her wound.

As Layle and Trookle worked to help her, Rulna limped over to them. He dropped down next to her and brought his hand up to her face. Tears ran down his own, but he ignored them.

Thankfully, Falkar awoke within a minute. Yania quickly told him the situation while giving him water, so he Cured himself and weakly ran over to Luna. "Check her pulse," he quietly ordered Layle. Layle found an extremely slow and soft pulse, and he told Falkar this as Falkar placed his hands over her stomach. Blue light flowed out his hands and into her injury. Within seconds, her broken arm and wounded stomach had been rejuvenated and her skin had regained some of its former color.

After that, Falkar Cured the others while Rulna gripped Luna's hands in his own. Once Falkar was finished, he joined Rulna, and the other four stood apart from them. The Clavats and Lilty knew that the three Selkies needed to be alone at the moment.

"Don't tell them," Nakta whispered, "but this is where the voice told us to go."

Yania nodded in understanding, but Trookle was shocked. "How do you know that?"

The knowledgeable Clavat explained, "The voice said that the Selkie Crystal had been brought to a city of monsters, where the thieves were to be judged by creatures of evil." Nakta gestured at the arena around them. "As you can see, this place was inhabited only by monsters. It is known as the Daemon's Court. That's what it meant. They would be judged because they were going to a court."

They all nodded with realization, but then Yania remembered something. "The Yuke! Where is it?" Staying together, the four ran through the gates of the arena, searching for the Yuke.

Behind one of the gates was a dark tunnel. They followed it, and at its end they found the Yuke within a cage. The lizardman that had taken him was nowhere to be seen; either it had fled or it had joined the battle in the arena. Layle pulled two of the bars off with Gravity, and Nakta entered the gap and carried the unconscious Yuke out.

"What now?" Trookle pondered as they walked back through the tunnel.

"Now we wait for it to wake," Nakta answered. "And when it does, we're going to find out some answers."

* * *

Varion groaned as his deep slumber ended. Feeling awfully uncomfortable, the Yuke tried to stretch his limbs. That was when he felt the rope that bound his hands.

Opening his eyes, he saw that he was tied to a tree. He was in the middle of a forest, and he immediately tried to free himself of his bonds. When he did, a male voice behind him said, "He's moving." Ceasing his attempt to break free, he watched as three Clavats and a Lilty circled around the tree to stand in front of him. Varion was quick to see the crystal embedded within the blonde's cheek, the blue scar running along the Lilty's left arm, and the female redhead's crystallized ankle. He had been captured by Crystal Bearers.

"Who are you?" Varion snapped. "What do you want with me?"

The brunette held up his hands as if he was trying to show Varion he had no weapons and meant no harm. Of course, this allowed Varion to see the crystal shining within his right palm. "We do not want to hurt you. We just want some answers."

Nodding in agreement, the Lilty said, "We saw you being attacked by those monsters and saved you."

Memories of the monsters came flooding back into Varion's memory. Indeed, he remembered, these Bearers had come to his aid. But just because they had destroyed those monsters didn't mean they wouldn't destroy him. "Why am I tied up, then?"

"We had to make sure you wouldn't hurt us," the female answered. "Which is why we need to ask you some questions."

They asked him why and how he had come here. He explained to them that, after the Yukes had returned to the living world, he had been eager to explore it. When asked about his powers, he explained them to the best of his knowledge. "Every time I have used my powers on a living being, they have gone mad." The Yuke shuddered as images of his victims popped into his head. "When I found that out, I vowed never to use my powers again. But sometimes, when I must defend myself…"

The blonde shrugged. "You shouldn't feel bad about that. You were only acting out of instinct. It wasn't your fault that you were forced to use them." Then he unconsciously scratched the crystal on his cheek.

That was when Varion recognized him. "Layle! You're Layle, aren't you?" Layle's confused look made him explain, "All the Yukes know about you! If it weren't for you, we never would have been freed!" It was then that Varion felt he could trust these people.

After a few more questions and answers, the brunette said, "We're going to let you go, alright?"

Varion nodded. "I promise I will not hurt you."

The Bearers nodded and warily cut the rope holding him to the tree. He gladly stretched his sore fingers and rubbed his wrists, then he stood. "I am planning to continue west," he told them. "What about yourselves?"

Still unsure about the Yuke, the four Bearers would not let their guard down as they told him their story. When Nakta mentioned the two Bearers who had attacked them and led them into Conall Curach, Varion felt a chill run through his body.

Layle, who knew Yukes far better than the others, noticed his unease. "What is it, Varion?"

Turning to the Clavat who had saved the Yuke tribe, he answered, "I know where they are. I know where we can find Ragna and Comar."

All four of them were greatly surprised, but Trookle was the first to speak. Bringing his right fist into his left palm, he replied, "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go get them!" Smiling at his eagerness to fight, they gathered the three Selkies and introduced Varion. After he had explained to them how he knew where these black-crystalled Bearers were, they headed west.

Now that they finally had a real chance of finding their enemies, Layle smiled as they marched toward the setting sun. Although he had no idea whether Ragna and Comar had been part of the theft of the Selkie Crystal, he had a feeling deep within them that he was heading in Belle's direction. _I'm coming, Belle_. Remembering that it was Comar who had hurt her, who had caused them to be separated, his hands became fists as he gladly imagined what it would be like to finally kill him.


	20. In Enemy Hands

Whew! Two chapters in one day! I'm on a roll!

I would love to thank Rivendell101 for giving me the idea to write this chapter.

Also, I wish to thank Mogiosh, who gave me the idea of Varion's powers.

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty: In Enemy Hands

Belle woke to the sound of crying and grunts of fatigue. When she opened her eyes, she immediately wished she could go back to sleep. Scores of Selkies were marching around her, their clothes torn and dirty, their faces beaten and resigned. When she sat up, she saw about a fifth of the Selkie mob carrying the Selkie Crystal. To her left, she saw two Clavats watching the scene. One of them was tan, extremely buff, wore dark clothes, and had short, dark hair. He was shouting orders, and he occasionally selected Selkies to beat or whip in order to get them to move faster. The other was extremely pale, thin, and had brown hair which ended just above his eyes. When the other would go to hurt the Selkies, this one would only watch and smile.

As she glared at these men, she noticed that the muscular man had a spiral-shaped, black crystal on his left bicep, and the brunette had ears made of black crystal. _Oh no, _Belle thought. _Not _more _Crystal Bearers!_

Then Belle became aware that she was on a stretcher being carried by two Selkies. She immediately jumped off the stretcher, ignored these two Selkies' complaints, and began asking them questions. "What's going on?" she inquired.

"Those two men forced us to leave Rebena Te Ra and take our Crystal west," one Selkie told her. "You've only been asleep for a couple hours. Thank goodness they allowed us to carry our patients out of the infirmary! We feared that they would kill you and all the other patients!"

"Well, thanks for helping me," Belle said. Nodding, they made sure she felt alright, then they tossed aside the stretcher. Glad to be rid of her weight, they rubbed their sore arms. "Has anyone tried to escape?" Belle asked.

The other Selkie nodded. "Nobody has made it, though. All who try to flee are killed."

"Surely, we could rebel!"

This time, the Selkie shook his head. "They're too strong. At least, the buff man is extremely deadly. But none of us have seen the thin one do anything. He hasn't even spoken to us. He only mocks us by standing and watching as we work for them."

Sighing, Belle looked back up at the men on the hill. Knowing there was nothing she could do at the moment, she walked along with the Selkie crowd and worked on making an escape plan.

The day was a long one. Every half hour, the Selkies under the Crystal would be relieved and would hand it over to other Selkies. If they did not exchange the Crystal quick enough, the buff man would kill a random Selkie within the crowd. He did so by shooting a ball of green darkness into them.

"That's Bio," a Selkie explained to Belle as they walked together. "At least, that's what we believe his Bearer power is. If you are hit by a Bio spell, you are poisoned; your body will weaken and deteriorate until it can no longer function."

Belle had to help carry the Selkie Crystal five times that day. It was tough work, but the Selkies fit as many people under it as they could in order to share the load. Thankfully, clouds covered the sky and a gentle zephyr from the west cooled their sweating bodies.

Once, a Selkie tried to escape. It was far from the two Crystal Bearers, with the entire Selkie crowd between them, and the Selkie was a fast sprinter. For a moment, it seemed like he had a chance. But the muscular man yawned and stretched for several seconds. Then he thrust his hand forward, and a Bio ball flew over the watching Selkies and into the escapee.

During the evening, after her last shift of carrying the Crystal, Belle saw the children. There were dozens of them gathered together, and they were desperately clinging to the adults around them as tears streamed out of their eyes and sobs filled their throats. Most were being carried by Selkie adults, and they looked so fragile as they cried into the shoulders of those holding them.

Before Belle could move away, a Selkie woman approached her. "Please, carry this child," she begged. "I am far too tired to carry her any further."

Belle wanted to scream. She wished only to turn and flee, but she knew that she couldn't. She had to be strong. For her people. For her fellow Selkies.

Taking the little girl into her arms, she was surprised to feel the child tremble. She had thought that the girl was asleep. "Don't cry," she murmured to the girl as she walked.

The child looked up at her with eyes full of tears. "My mommy and daddy are dead," she whispered through her sobs. "My daddy was only trying to defend us. And when my mother complained that she could go no further…" The girl could not finish, and her crying intensified.

"Shh," she said quietly while stroking the girl's arm, trying to comfort her. "It's going to be alright. It will all be over soon. You'll be home soon." The child continued to cry, but her trembling slowly diminished. Within minutes, she was quiet, and her steady breathing told Belle that she was asleep.

A little while after the sun had set, the Crystal Bearers let the Selkies cease their tiring march. Setting up the tents that they had been allowed to bring, the Selkies let the children and injured sleep in the tents. Sharing what little food they had, they ate and then laid down to try and get some sleep.

Belle fed the little girl some apple slices and bread, and then she waved good-bye as she entered the tent. Next, she found a flat patch of ground, removed the rocks upon it, and tried to become comfortable. Despite the cold and her hunger, her exhaustion caused her to fall asleep in seconds.

The next day, two more men had joined the band of Crystal Bearers. They, too, possessed black crystals, but they never used their powers during the day. In fact, not a single person was killed that day. During the night, just after they had eaten, the Selkies began to joke and laugh again.

However, on the following morning, they were not so fortunate. When the Selkies were handing off the Crystal, the weary men dropped one side of the Crystal. They were lucky that nobody was crushed by the Crystal, but what came afterward was terrifying.

"Come on, you lazy Selkies, pick it up!" the Bio Crystal Bearer shouted. They hurriedly tried to lift the Crystal, but their haste caused a few of them to slip and slow down the process. In response, the Bearer threw four Bio spells into the crowd. "Move!"

Obviously impatient, the blonde Crystal Bearer walked into the group of Selkies. Then he grabbed a child and dragged her away, despite the protests of the Selkies. Throwing her onto the ground, he told her to stand and face the audience.

It was the girl Belle had been carrying two days earlier.

The young girl let out a sad sob, and two tears streaked through the dirt upon her face. Then the blonde grabbed a rock with his Bearer powers, threw it high into the sky, and brought it down upon her.

Belle screamed. She tried to push through the crowd, to attack the blonde Bearer, but the others held her back. Smiling, he shouted, "If you ever slack again, more children will be killed." Then he gestured for them to keep on working, and the other Crystal Bearers laughed as the Selkies picked up their Crystal and moved onward.

Finally ending her struggle, the stunned Belle stared at the crater where the rock had struck. She then glared at the blonde with complete hatred.

Looking straight at her, he evilly grinned, and then the four Crystal Bearers walked past her.

* * *

Over the next few days, Belle was distraught. She spoke to nobody. Her dreams were filled with images of the girl and her death, and when she awoke she could only think of how she hated her murderer.

With their food supply nearly empty, the Selkies were greatly struggling to continue west. The Bio Bearer would bring back game that he had killed with his powers, and the Selkies were allowed to build fires to roast the dead animals, but this was not nearly enough to quench their hunger.

Although she was growing thin, and her body was weakening, Belle hardly ate anything. For some reason, that girl had touched her, and her dying had placed Belle into a great depression.

Belle walked, ate, and worked thoughtlessly, as if in a trance, no longer caring what happened to her.

* * *

Then, on another cold, sad night, Belle was invited to the Crystal Bearers' tent.

She passed by the other Selkies, their warnings and sympathetic comments only an annoying buzzing in her ears. Before she knew it, she was walking through the entrance to the tent.

At first, the tent seemed empty. Then she saw the Bio Bearer on the other side of the large tent, watching her. "Hello there, gorgeous," he said while his eyes ran up and down her body.

Without any sense of caution, she put her hands on her hips and snapped, "What the hell do you want?"

Smiling, he stood and slowly approached her. "Well, we heard a rumor going around that you came to Rebena Te Ra with a blonde, Clavat Crystal Bearer. Is that true?"

Belle's hands dropped to her sides, and her face lost expression. _Layle. _Suddenly, she wasn't just thinking about the little girl. Memories of Layle flooded her mind, and her life instantly seemed to have purpose again. Whatever these black-crystalled Bearers wanted from her, she would defend Layle, even at the cost of her life. "What about him?"

The man had come much closer to her, and he replied, "I just need to ask a few questions about him. But first things first."

Belle raised her eyebrows questioningly. "What's first?"

In the blink of an eye, he was next to her, his hands caressing her face. "First, I need to find out some things about _you_." Then he pressed her up against the wall and began to kiss her neck.

Taken by surprise, she lashed out at him and screamed, "Get off of me!" But he simply ignored her struggling and slowly brought his lips further down. One of his hands reached down and began to move up her leg.

"Grule!" Both Belle and Grule looked up at the sound. The brunette with the crystallized ears was standing in the doorway of the tent. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Grinning, he replied, "Just having some fun." Releasing Belle, he backed away. Belle attempted to slap him, but he caught her wrist and held it. "Calm down, beautiful."

"Get out," the brunette commanded. Grunting at the order, Grule winked at Belle and then exited the tent. "I apologize. I told him to wait until I returned before bringing you here. I had no idea he would do such a thing to you. I should have known that it wasn't beneath him."

Still shocked at what had happened, Belle warily replied, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man smiled apologetically. "Please excuse my manners. I am Zinka." He extended his hand, but Belle only moved further back. "I don't know if Grule told you or not, but we have invited you here because we heard that you know somebody we are looking for."

Knowing she must be careful of what she said, she replied, "And who would that be?"

"A blonde Crystal Bearer with the power of Gravity."

Belle pretended to be thinking for a second, then smiled. "Ah, yes! I remember him."

Zinka's eyes became filled with interest. "Is there anything you can tell me about him?"

The female Selkie shrugged. "Not really. He and three other Crystal Bearers hired me because I told them I could find the city of the Selkies. I was lying, of course, for the money. Isn't it funny that we found it, anyway?" Belle gave him her most convincing smile.

Yet his eyes were full of suspicion. "I see."

A few moments later, Grule slipped into the tent. "Is she talking?"

Zinka nodded without moving his eyes away from Belle. "Yes, but I think making her tell the _truth _is going to be a little tougher than we thought."

Smiling, Grule cracked his neck and knuckles. Realizing what was about to happen, Belle ran for the exit. But Grule grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Grabbing her by the neck, he pulled her up, then punched her hard in the face. Then he did it again, and again, and again, until her face was covered in blood.

The whole time, Zinka watched from the corner of the tent, a small smile etched upon his lips.


	21. The Night Raid

Chapter Twenty-One: The Night Raid

Crouching behind a hill, trying to stay hidden, Layle scanned the camp below. Several small fires allowed him to observe that about a dozen tents were set up, with Selkies sitting and chatting around the flames. The Crystal Bearer saw no sign of any guards, but he knew they must be somewhere. Otherwise, the Selkies would already be gone from this place.

To his dismay, Belle and the Selkie Crystal were nowhere to be seen.

Quietly backing down the hill, Layle returned to the forest that lay about a half mile away from the Selkie encampment. There, he came across his seven friends. Falkar immediately asked, "Anything?"

The blonde Bearer shook his head. "They still seem to be unaware of our presence, and I couldn't spot Belle or the Crystal. There are less Selkies out than before, but many are still awake."

Falkar sighed. "We can't wait much longer. I know you want to find Belle, Layle, but we need to go down there while we still have time. If we can gather enough Selkies together, while they're still outside, we should be able to find the guards and overtake them. I'm sure we'll find Belle in the process."

Layle walked on by the Selkie, waving his hand as if he didn't care. But he did. Even after the others had returned to the forest an hour before, he had stayed. He wanted to know where Belle was before they began the attack. _Maybe he's right, _Layle admitted. _The longer we wait, the less chance we have of saving the Selkies. If there are more in the tents, it'll be harder to get them out._

As he tried to make a decision, Layle glanced upward. Luna, who was still weak and had been carried here, was lying under a blanket. Rulna sat next to her, caressing her hand, speaking softly to her. The female Selkie was restless, but Rulna would not allow her to move. Knowing she couldn't change his mind, she had finally calmed down and was whispering back to him.

Layle wondered once more about these two. He had no idea what their history together was, but he was surprised that they were only now showing signs of deep affection toward each other. Then again, Layle had done the same thing when Belle had nearly died.

The Selkies' actions had not only plagued Layle's mind. Yania, Nakta, and Trookle sat together, remembering their fond memories of being with each other. Nakta occasionally made jokes about Trookle as he always did, but he seemed to be doing them to revive those memories, rather than to actually insult him. And the Lilty responded with his typical comebacks, but he said them with absolutely no anger. Whereas Yania and Nakta had always laughed at Trookle's reactions before, now they only chuckled kindly, as did Trookle. It was as if they were only doing these things to remember their good times together, and were glad that they were still able to do them now.

Feeling both glad for their friendship and sad that whatever happened tonight could end it, Layle watched silently as these three comforted each other, and as Falkar joined Luna and Rulna and did the same with them. Although none of them wanted this moment to end, they all knew it eventually would. So they all looked up at Layle, a sad acceptance in their eyes. These two groups of people, who had been together for most of their lives, were prepared for the events of tonight. They were prepared to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, for the Selkies in that camp, no matter what the cost.

A rustle of the leaves came from Layle's left, and he saw Varion expectantly staring at him.

Layle looked at each of their faces. "Crystal Bearers," he addressed them all, emphasizing their current sense of unity, "it is time." He could not say anymore. Nor did he need to. Coming to their feet and helping each other up, the Bearers shook hands and softly spoke to each other. Yania silently hugged him. Nakta tightly gripped his hand in his own and nodded to him. Trookle told him how nice it was to have known him, then they exchanged a quick handshake. Each Selkie took his hand with both of theirs, and each individually thanked him for all his help in their search for the Selkie Crystal.

And then it truly was time. Despite their wish for this night to last forever, for them to remain in this forest and live out the rest of their lives together, the moment was past. With determination in their eyes, they glanced at each other once more before beginning the walk toward the Selkie camp.

* * *

Layle jumped behind a tent. Crouching, he peered around the edges of the tent. When he only saw a few Selkies surrounding a campfire, he beckoned for the others to come on down.

Stealthily descending the hill, Yania and Nakta rushed to his side. Several yards away, they watched as Rulna, Trookle, Varion, and Falkar ran and hid behind another tent. Of course, Luna was still in the forest, following Rulna's orders to remain where she was.

For the next few moments, they examined the camp one last time. But they could see no sign of danger. Nodding to each other, they began the next step of their plan. Stepping out from behind the tent, Falkar casually walked into the camp and sat down next to a circle of Selkies. A few showed signs of surprise, but then they returned to their whispers and laughed at each other's jokes. As they did, Falkar joined the conversation and acted as if he had been with them this entire time.

_Selkies are good actors, I'll give them that, _Layle thought to himself. The plan was that Falkar would tell all the Selkies outside of the tent to wait for his signal, and then they would all flee together. As he did this, Layle would search the tents and get those Selkies out.

Moving quickly, Layle crept around the tent and then vanished inside. Yania and Nakta joined him, and Rulna and Trookle remained outside, ready to defend their friends.

Fortunately, Layle saw only a score of Selkies in this tent. They stood in surprise, ready to defend themselves. "It's alright," Nakta whispered only loud enough for them to hear. "We're here to rescue you. Rulna, Falkar, and Luna are with us." Suspicion still lay in their eyes, but the sound of the three Crystal Bearers' names had lowered that suspicion. "Now come on! We need to get out of here!" Used to sneaking around, the Selkies made not a single sound as they exited the tent.

Once they were outside, the Selkies silently sighed with relief when they saw Rulna and Falkar. Before they could be spotted, Nakta ordered them to head for the forest, where Luna would be waiting for them. After Rulna had nodded to them, they dashed up and over the hill, the shadows concealing their escape.

Smiling at their success, the Crystal Bearers moved on to the next tent, and Falkar went to speak with another circle of Selkies.

Then, as Layle and his friends were entering the tent, they heard the screams.

Instantly aware that the time for stealth was at an end, Layle rushed into the tent and got the Selkies moving. In this tent were several children and women, and the three Bearers assisted them in evacuating out of the shelter. Once they were outside, all the Selkies joined together, and the Bearers prepared to defend them. Now all the Selkies had become aware of the escape, and they were eagerly leaving the tents and fires and joining the group.

Layle scanned the area around him, searching for their attackers. He only saw Rulna, Varion, and Falkar dashing up the hill. _That must be where the screams came from, _Layle realized. Hoping they could take care of the situation, Layle commanded the Selkies to move out of the camp. They had to flee while their attackers were elsewhere, while Varion and Rulna and Falkar were distracting them.

Suddenly, a ball of dark-green light sped past his face. He instinctively rolled away and came back up in a crouch, scanning the darkness around him. Behind him, a woman was screaming in pain, suffering from the Bio attack that had barely missed Layle.

The Clavat had no time to worry about her, though. He saw another Bio spell coming straight for him, and he spun out of the way. Fortunately, the Selkies were running now, and this second attack only touched the ground. The plants and grass that had been touched by the spell immediately wilted and crumbled to the earth.

Then, Layle saw his attacker. He was large, with huge muscles easily visible under his black clothing. His arms were exposed, though, revealing the black crystal that reflected the firelight. _A Crystal Bearer! _Layle immediately knew that this man was working with Ragna and Comar. Why else would he be here, defending the Selkie camp?

The Bearer threw another Bio ball at Layle. Just barely dodging it, Layle rolled behind a tent. "Come out!" the Bearer shouted. Another green ball hit the ground next to Layle. "Come out and fight me, you coward!" Hoping this would surprise his enemy, Layle jumped away from his hiding place. Another Bio spell sped by his face, and he responded by grabbing the tent and throwing it upon his foe.

Pulling out a sword as dark as night, the Bearer cut the tent to pieces and stepped out of it. Before he could attack again, Layle grabbed him with Gravity. The Bearer ransferred his magic from his hands into his sword, causing the blade to be encased in a green, wavy, transparent sheath. He then swung his blade up and into the blue tendril of magic that connected him to Layle's hand. The green light surrounding the sword spread along the blue tendril, poisoning Layle's magic. Layle gasped in surprise as the blue aura around him disappeared, and Layle lost all control over him. Laughing, the Bearer lowered his sword and used his other hand to fire another spell toward Layle.

Nakta and Yania joined the fight then. Both threw their spells at him, but he easily destroyed them with his magical blade. Laughing with glee, he threw a Bio ball at them, and they dove out of the way. The battle continued on like this, with each throwing spell after spell toward each other. But because Layle and his friends had to move far more than their foe did, they were growing weary. They also had no chance of defending themselves now; they had moved away from the tents, and the Bio spells disintegrated Layle's Gravity shields.

Trookle, however, had been aiding the Selkies this entire time. He had not seen what this man could do. Now running into the battle, he raised his hands and cast Slow upon the Bearer. "Now!" he cried. "Get him now!"

Smiling, the Bearer lifted his sword, ended the Slow spell, and shot a Bio spell into Trookle.

* * *

Rulna, Falkar, and Varion sprinted as hard as they could to the top of the hill. Within a minute, they had gained the summit and stared in horror at the sight below.

All the Selkies who had tried to escape lay on the ground, screaming, writhing in pain. Falkar immediately ran to Cure them, but he only managed to save a few. The rest perished before he was close enough to heal them. Meanwhile, Rulna and Varion ran with him and searched for attackers, but they found none. Whoever had done this had escaped.

Then a woman's scream pierced the night. It was coming from the forest to the southeast.

"Luna!" Rulna called. He immediately ran as fast as he could for the trees. Varion stayed with Falkar while he instructed the rescued Selkies to lay down and pretend to be dead. The Crystal Bearers would return shortly; until then, they must remain still. Once he had finished giving orders, Falkar nodded to the Yuke, and followed after Rulna.

By that time, Rulna had already reached the woods.

* * *

Zinka let the woman scream for a few seconds longer, then slit her throat. _The things Selkies will do to stay alive, _Zinka amusingly thought to himself. When the Selkies had crossed over the hill, he and Grule had intercepted them. Grule had poisoned all but one with Bio, and Zinka had then grabbed her and taken her to the forest while Grule escaped. Threatening to kill her if she made a noise, he waited until the other Selkies had ceased their cries of pain. Then he had told her to scream, and followed that with a knife to her neck. _I told her she would die if she wasn't quiet._ Aware that his enemies would be here shortly, Zinka ran through the trees, as quiet as a cat.

Then he saw Rulna. With the full moon brightening the world, Zinka could easily see the blue crystal embedded within his left knee. Zinka's mouth dropped in disbelief. _Ragna wasn't lying! How is it possible that I cannot hear his crystal? _He was followed by the Yuke (which Zinka could hear) and another man, who had a crystal located upon his lower neck. _That's two; where's the third? _Zinka wondered. Curious about these strange Crystal Bearers, Zinka slowly crawled back to where he had left the dead woman.

Suddenly hearing loud noises ahead of him, Zinka quickly dropped to the ground. The three Crystal Bearers sprinted past him, completely ignorant of his presence. But they had only been a few yards away from him, and Zinka had seen that the two who accompanied the Yuke were both Selkies. _So it's the Selkies that I cannot hear, _Zinka concluded.

Zinka felt an urge to follow them, to see where they were going, but he knew he could not overpower them. _Especially not with the Yuke, _Zinka thought. _Even alone, he would still be too powerful for me. _Hoping that wherever they were going was far away, Zinka quietly crept out of the forest and ran north across the plains. After running for about a mile, he entered another forest, grabbed what he and Grule had hidden there, and headed back toward the tents.

* * *

Trookle gasped in shock and fell to his knees. Then he collapsed and began to shake, sounds of pain already escaping his lips. The Bio Bearer smiled as the Lilty convulsed upon the ground.

"Trookle!" Nakta cried. Roaring in fury, he drew his sword and charged at his enemy. The man sent six different Bio spheres toward him, but he dodged every one of them. Jumping over the last two, he raised his sword high above him and, with a ferocious scream, brought it down upon the man.

This man was quick, though. Jumping to the side, he dodged the attack and rushed at Nakta. As he filled his weapon with the power of Bio, Nakta sent Thunder into his. Pulling his blade out of the ground, Nakta swung his sword at his foe. The swords clashed together, and an explosion of purple and green sparks erupted from them as their magics attacked each other. His anger powering him, Nakta pushed the other's sword aside and kicked him in the chest. The man stumbled backward, but he still managed to roll under Nakta's sword and stab at him. Spinning out of the way, Nakta swung his sword at the Bearer's chest. The man jumped back, the sword's tip only an inch away from him. Although the sword was not close enough to hurt him, Nakta's magic was. A lightning bolt launched out of the tip, slamming into the Bio Bearer and sending him tumbling through the air. He landed many yards away from Nakta, his clothes smoking. The Thunder spell had knocked him unconscious.

"Stop!" a voice cried. The others stopped what they were doing and looked up, even Nakta, who was absolutely ready to kill the Bio Bearer. A man with ears of black crystal had spoken.

In his arms, a knife to her throat, was Belle.

Layle took a step toward her, but the man pressed the knife against her skin. The tip broke her skin, and a drop of blood slid down her neck. "If any of you move a muscle," the Crystal Bearer threatened, "I'll kill her." Belle looked at Layle and shook her head, as if to say that the man would not kill her. But Layle saw fear deep within her eyes. So he did nothing.

Warily watching them, the man slowly circled around Layle and his friends, dragging Belle with him. As they came closer to the fires, Layle saw that Belle's face was covered in bruises and scars, her face covered with dry blood. Hatred filled him, and he wanted nothing more than to murder this man, right here, right now. But he couldn't. He couldn't risk Belle's life.

Coming to a stop next to the Bio Bearer, the man hit Belle hard in the head with the hilt of his knife. Grabbing the Bio Bearer's body, he threw the huge man over one shoulder and Belle over the other. Despite his appearance to be small and weak, this man didn't seem to have any trouble carrying this heavy load.

"Don't even think about following me." Without turning around, he quickly began to move away. When he was a fair distance away, he turned and ran.

Nakta and Yania immediately turned and ran for Trookle. Layle stayed where he was, staring at the place where he had last seen Belle. His open hands transformed into fists. _I am going to kill that man, _Layle vowed.

Nakta fell to his knees and grabbed Trookle's shoulders. The Lilty was shaking far more violently than earlier. His fingers dug into the ground as waves of pain rolled through his body, and terrible coughs escaped his pale lips. "Trookle," Nakta sobbed. He turned to Yania and shouted, "Where is Falkar? Get him!" He faced the Lilty again and exclaimed, "Stay with me, Trookle! It's going to be ok! Falkar will be here any second! Just hang on!"

Gritting his teeth in tremendous pain, Trookle shook his head. "There's no time," he murmured. "He's not going to come." The Lilty tore his hand away from the ground and tightly gripped Nakta's. "Nakta," he whispered, "you have been a great friend. I am so grateful to have known you. Thank you." Then he began coughing once again. His body shook for a few more seconds, then his body became limp.

Nakta put his arms around Trookle and hugged him close. He trembled as sobs coursed through him. Yania put her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. As the two cried together, Layle looked up to see Falkar, Luna, Rulna, and Varion descending the hill.

They were near the bottom of the hill when they saw Trookle's body within Nakta's arms. Luna gasped, and Nakta glanced up at the sound. Suddenly he stopped sobbing, although tears continued to flow out of his eyes. Gently laying Trookle down, he stood and stared at the Selkies.

Then he drew his sword and, with a wordless cry of anger and agony, charged at Falkar.


	22. A Need for Revenge

Yes! I have updated once more! This chapter is one of my favorite, despite the fact that it's not particularly long.

I apologize to all my readers about Layle. I know that he usually acts a lot differently that he does in the game. And it seems like, whenever I do try to change him, he is always different than his true video game character. Hopefully I will be able to change that very soon.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story! Your wonderful comments mean a lot to me! I hope that this chapter shall please you as much as the others have!

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Need for Revenge

With his sword raised above him, Nakta charged at Falkar, roaring in fury and emotional pain.

Nobody had been expecting this. Falkar would have been killed if Rulna had not reacted quickly and thrown a Barrier between them. The Clavat slammed into the purple, transparent wall and fell back with a bloody nose. But this did not stop him. Standing, he swung his blade at the wall and screamed, "You could have saved him! If you had been here, he'd still be alive! You are a murderer!" Filling his blade with Thunder, he stabbed it at the Barrier. But his weapon bounced off, causing the spell to backfire upon him and send him tumbling backwards, his sword soaring out of his hands.

"Nakta!" Yania cried. She ran to him, but he pushed her aside and raised both his hands in front of him. With his palms side by side, he unleashed a huge lightning bolt out of his hands and into the large Barrier. The spell contained such power that it created a strong explosion that destroyed the Barrier and knocked everyone over.

Nakta blinked until the world had stopped spinning, then he began to stand once more. The ringing in his ears prevented him from hearing Rulna approaching. Tackling into the Clavat, Rulna wrestled with him until he was pinning Nakta down. "We didn't know!' Rulna yelled into Nakta's face as he tried to escape. "We thought they were attacking Luna! We had no idea you were being attacked! This isn't Falkar's fault!"

Shouting in anger and denial, Nakta pushed against Rulna. Freeing one of his hands, he grabbed Rulna's arm and sent a burst of electricity into him. The Selkie flew backward and hit his head upon a rock, knocking him unconscious.

Nakta turned to find Falkar, but a Holy spell flared around him and blinded him. Just as he regained vision, he saw Luna sprinting at him. Jumping at him, Luna kicked him in the chest and then rolled back to her feet. Seeing him standing and picking his sword up off of the ground, she unsheathed her knives and pounced upon him. He swiftly dodged her attack, and then they engaged in battle, their weapons clashing together.

As they fought, Falkar Cured Rulna and tried to wake him, and Yania screamed at them to stop fighting. Remembering Layle, she turned around and saw him. He was still standing where she had last seen him, staring into the distance. "Layle!" He did not turn. "Layle, please help me!"

Her voice brought him back to his senses. A blue aura appeared around Nakta, and Luna stepped away. Nakta still swung his sword at her, but he simply floated in the air, unable to move closer to her.

Yania came in between them and shouted, "Please, Nakta, stop!" She fell to her knees and cried.

Nakta quit his futile efforts of trying to attack Luna and looked at Yania. For several seconds, he glared at her, anger still controlling him. Then he sadly murmured, "Yania." Layle released him, and he slowly walked over to her, went to his knees, and held her close. He too began to cry, and he whispered apologies to her as he stroked her hair.

Falkar had managed to wake Rulna, and the Selkies came to stand beside Layle. All four of them glared together at the two Clavats. "He may not be attacking us now," Luna fumed, "but he could at any time. We have to get out of here."

Rulna and Falkar nodded. "I'm sure they need some time alone," Falkar said. The Selkies turned to Layle. "Where should we go?" Falkar asked.

Layle looked at them, and each Selkie could have sworn they saw flames within his eyes. "I'm going after those murderers."

Rulna and Luna grinned at this idea, but Falkar was shocked. "Are you insane? That man will kill Belle if he sees us!"

"He'll be a rotting corpse before he has the chance to see me." Refusing to listen to Falkar's protests, Layle walked away. Luna and Rulna gladly followed him, and Falkar sighed and ran after them.

* * *

As Nakta ran toward Falkar, Varion felt the presence. This was the presence that had plagued him a few days before, which had told him to head west.

Although Varion did not wish it, images entered his mind. They told him he had to go west immediately. They showed him that Ragna, Comar, Grule, and Zinka would treat him well. If he were to join them, he would be blessed with an unimaginable amount of power. He saw himself as leader of the Yukes. His Crystal Bearer powers had somehow been enhanced, and he could destroy anyone with a simple snap of the fingers. He did not have to use his powers if he did not wish to, but they would ensure that nobody would dare challenge him. The images promised him that he would be given such power, and that he could have anything he desired. Then they vanished, and he once again felt something tugging at him, bidding him to go west.

_No! Surely this must be a trap! I will have nothing to do with this!_ Scared of what lay west, he turned and ran east. As he did, the tugging increased.

He had not gone far when whatever was tugging him decided that that wasn't enough. A wave of pain entered his body. His insides felt like they were on fire! He collapsed to the ground and felt his armor and bones breaking. His soul escaped from his broken armor, and he screamed as it was torn into pieces.

Then the pain ceased, and Varion felt whole once more.

Varion grabbed his chest and groaned. The pain had been replaced by the tugging, which was more powerful than ever. _How am I to escape this thing?_ Varion thought in dismay.

"Varion!" The Yuke saw Layle approaching. Following him were the Selkies. "Is something wrong?"

He shakily stood and replied, "That _thing_ came back. It told me to go west again. I don't know how to get rid of it, Layle!" Then he noticed how enraged he and the Selkies were. "What are you doing?"

"We're going after those Crystal Bearers. Will you come?"

Despite what had just happened to him, Varion nodded. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. It was you who set my people free. The least I can do is help you."

Layle nodded, then turned without a word. Varion sighed. _As soon as we have found Belle and saved the Selkies, I am leaving this terrible land once and for all._ Wishing he had never come here, Varion followed Layle and inwardly screamed when the tugging increased.

* * *

Heading back toward Nakta and Yania, Layle ignored the sounds of the people behind him. He smiled, glad that Varion would help him in his quest to destroy the man who had taken Belle.

But deep inside, he felt that this was wrong. He knew that he should tell Varion to turn around, or at least to stay with Nakta and Yania. Whatever wanted him to go west was working with the men who had killed Trookle and kidnapped Belle, and Varion should get out of there before something bad happened to him.

However, Layle no longer cared. Even if he had no desire to use them, Varion had strong powers that could greatly help Layle. He had to use whatever resources he could. His anger had driven away any reasonable thoughts or righteousness that he might possess. Now, he could only think of Belle, and he would do whatever it would take to save her.

Although he could not wait to find Belle and kill her captors, he had one last thing to do. Telling the Selkies and Yuke to go ahead, he ran over to Yania and Nakta. "I'm going after Belle," he told them.

They nodded in understanding. "We'll catch up as soon as we bury Trookle," Nakta replied. Based on what he knew about them, Layle suspected that they would take quite a bit of time in burying the Lilty and saying their final goodbyes.

Without another word, he left. At first, he could not find the others. Then he saw them half a mile away from him, talking to the Selkies who had managed to escape. By the time he had caught up to them, the escapees were already heading east. "They're going home," Falkar explained. "I'm sure they'll be able to handle themselves. After all, they are Selkies."

Layle did not reply. This statement, which Belle had so often said to him, only increased his anger. Knowing he must be impatient, they turned and ran west. As they did, Varion told them the names of the two Crystal Bearers who had escaped. _Zinka,_ Layle thought, _I'll make sure you scream before you die._

* * *

Zinka gasped when he heard the crystals of Layle and Varion approaching. _Are they crazy?_ Cursing at this change of events, he quit resting and began running again. Unfortunately, he was tired and sweating from carrying both Grule and the Selkie, and it wouldn't be long before they would be upon him.

Then he discovered that his luck had not run out. Finding the footprints of the dozens of Selkies that were carrying the Selkie Crystal, he followed their path for a ways. After a few minutes, he spotted a large, thick forest not far from the Selkie trail. He ran into the forest, dropped the unconscious Clavat and Selkie, then ran back and concealed his tracks.

After moving deeper into the forest, he stopped and waited, listening closely to the crystals that were nearing him. He sighed in relief when they passed by the forest and continued west.

But that wasn't such a good thing for Ragna and Comar. Closing his eyes, Zinka telepathically told them, _"The Bearers are coming! Prepare yourself!"_

Picking Grule and Belle up once more, he too headed west. _I can only hope those two will be up to the challenge._


	23. A Dangerous Chase

Sorry for the long delay, everyone! Hopefully this will be the beginning of yet another writing streak!

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Dangerous Chase

Zinka had not been following the sound of Layle's crystal for very long when Grule awoke. Glad to be rid of the weight, Zinka gently lowered both Belle and Grule to the ground.

Groaning, Grule rubbed his forehead and asked, "What's going on?"

"You were knocked unconscious by those Crystal Bearers," Zinka answered. "But I managed to get us out of there."

"How'd you do that?" Zinka gestured to Belle, and Grule smiled. "She turned out to be of some use, huh? Good." Searching the area around him, he said, "So where are we going now?"

"Two of the Bearers ran after us," Zinka explained. "Now they're following Ragna and Comar's trail. I'm going after them."

Grule snapped his fingers. "What about the other three? We can easily intercept them and take them out!" Then his eyes widened as if he had just remembered something. "Before I was knocked unconscious, I poisoned a Lilty Bearer with Bio. Surely he must be dead! That would explain why they have separated!"

"We don't know that he's dead," Zinka replied. "These are Crystal Bearers we're talking about; we have no idea what kind of powers they might have."

"Come on!" Grule was obviously very excited about this. "There's no way they could have countered my spell! We can find these three crystals, kill their owners, and take them while Ragna and Comar take care of the other two. This is our chance!"

Sighing, Zinka said, "Fine." With Grule evilly grinning behind him, Zinka ordered him to carry Belle and led them toward the sound of the three crystals.

* * *

The sun was just rising when Rulna asked if they could take a break. Layle immediately turned upon him. "We can't stop! We'll be upon them any minute! I can feel it!"

Rulna shook his head. "We have to rest, Layle. If we're exhausted when we catch up to them, they will have the advantage." Layle wanted to yell back at him, for he did not look very weary at all. Then Rulna walked over to Luna. The female Selkie was still weak from the battle at Daemon's Court, and this excursion had exhausted her. That was why Rulna wanted to stop.

"It's alright," Luna protested. "I'm fine."

"No you're not," Rulna replied. "Please, Luna, rest." When he finally convinced her to do so, she laid down and allowed her body to recover.

Furious that they had halted, Layle yelled and continued running west. "Layle!" Varion called. "Layle, wait!" The Yuke ran after him, but the Selkies remained where they were.

* * *

At the same time that Layle and Varion left the three Selkies, Nakta and Yania finished digging up Trookle's grave. Carrying the Lilty's body over, Nakta held him close and caressed his small head, then lowered him into the hole. Yania placed some flowers upon his chest, then she and Nakta stood together while staring down at him.

"He was such a good person," Yania sadly said. "Despite the fact that we were always angering him, he was always willing to forgive us and continue to be our friend. Trookle was most definitely the kindest Lilty I've ever known."

She glanced over and wasn't surprised to see Nakta silently crying. Putting her arms around him, Yania held him and comforted him. "It's ok," she whispered.

"No," Nakta murmured. "No, it's not. This is my fault. I'm the one who found him. I saw him using his powers to Slow a thief, and I convinced him to join our group. If I had only left him alone, none of this would have ever happened."

Yania stepped back and raised Nakta's head so that their eyes met. "And what if you hadn't met him? Those men would have still searched him out and killed him, just as they killed Olgra. Nakta, if it weren't for you, we would have never become such wonderful friends with Trookle. You were his best friend, and he loved you as a brother. If you hadn't recruited him, he would have been alone in this world. You brought joy to his life, Nakta. I'm sure, if he were here now, he wouldn't have changed a thing."

Nakta smiled and nodded, and Yania hugged him one final time. Then they buried Trookle together, said good-bye one last time, and followed Layle's trail west.

* * *

Just a couple minutes after Nakta and Yania had begun moving, Zinka and Grule reached the summit of a hill overlooking the area. "Do you see anything?" Grule asked.

"No," Zinka answered. "But I can hear a crystal in the middle of these plains. You were right, Grule; they must have left behind the dead Lilty."

"Well then, let's go get it!" After a minute of waiting, they ran out into the open and used Zinka's powers to find Trookle. Then they dug his body out of the ground. Drawing his sword, Grule cut the Lilty's crystal out of his body and tossed the small corpse aside.

Smiling at the bloody crystal within his fingers, Grule looked down at the Lilty and prepared to kick his motionless body. "No!" Zinka exclaimed. "We don't have time to be messing around! We have to catch up to Ragna and Comar!" Leaving Trookle where he was, Grule heaved Belle over his shoulder once more and they too headed west.

* * *

As they ran, Varion continued to beg Layle to stop, but the Clavat simply ignored him. The Yuke eventually realized that his pleading was pointless and silently ran alongside Layle. Layle himself was growing tired quickly, but he would not halt. We're almost there, I just know it, he wearily told himself.

It turned out he was right.

The two Crystal Bearers followed the Selkie trail around a forest. As they were passing the western end of it, they saw the Selkie Crystal shining in the distance. "There they are!" Layle cried. "Let's go!" Varion tried one last time to make Layle stop and failed. Knowing two would be better than one, Varion followed him, and the two sprinted toward the Crystal.

Suddenly, the earth violently shook as if experiencing a tremendous earthquake. Varion yelped and collapsed to the ground. Layle stumbled forward, then put his hands down and used Gravity to push off the ground and levitate in the air. Once the shaking had ended, he dropped back to the ground and searched for Ragna.

He soon found the Crystal Bearer with the power of Quake. His enemy was preparing to create another strong Quake. Layle intervened by grabbing him with Gravity and throwing him into the boulder that had originally kept him hidden.

However, this was a small and short victory. Two rocks came from behind Layle at incredible speeds and crashed into the ground next to him. Their explosions caused both Layle and Varion to go flying in the other direction. Varion painfully tumbled to the ground, but Layle managed to do a flip and land on his feet. Quickly turning around, he saw Comar lifting two more rocks above his head. Roaring in fury, Layle ran straight at his enemy. Smiling, Comar threw his Meteors at Layle. With a tremendous amount of strength, anger, and effort, Layle put his hands up and sent two strong blasts of Gravity out of his hands. They collided with the Meteors and caused them to shatter.

This attack made Layle instantly exhausted, but he ignored the pain within him. Wiping away the sweat running into his eyes, he sprinted toward Comar. His enemy now had a hint of fear in his face, and he quickly grabbed another two rocks. Although Layle was still far away, his rage had strengthened him so much that he was able to grab the rocks, take them out of Comar's control, and bring them down upon him. Shocked at Layle's strength, Comar had no time to react and was crushed by the rocks.

Finally closing the ground between them, Layle threw the rocks upon Comar aside, then jumped upon the blonde Clavat. "Where is she?" he shouted as he punched Comar hard in the face. "Where is Belle?" He hit Comar several more times, then stood up and used Gravity to push him into the ground as he had once done to Jegran.

"Stop!" Layle turned to see Ragna holding a sword to Varion's throat. "If you hurt Comar any further, I will kill the Yuke!"

Layle had no time to wonder how exactly Ragna knew about the Yuke tribe. Using only one hand to push Comar down, he lifted the other and tried to throw the sword out of Ragna's hands. But he was too far away. Ragna instantly knew that Layle had tried to attack him and raised his sword.

Then, just as the blade was about to break open Varion's helmet, a Holy spell burst in front of them. Blinded by the light, Ragna yelled in surprise and pain, dropped his sword, and let go of Varion. However, Varion had also temporarily lost his vision. Both the Clavat and Yuke stumbled, trying to clear their eyes and see who had attacked them.

Layle glanced to the east and saw the three Selkies rushing to his aid. Rulna cast a Barrier between Ragna and Varion to protect the Yuke. Then, when they were closer, Falkar Cured Varion and ended his blindness. Varion immediately grabbed Ragna's sword and stepped away from the Clavat. Once the Selkies were with him, Rulna destroyed the Barrier, drew his own sword, and used the hilt to knock Ragna unconscious.

Smiling at their success, Layle made sure Comar was unconscious by throwing him into a boulder, then brought him over next to the Selkies. "I can handle them," Layle told Rulna.

Rulna chuckled. "You're welcome. No, I think you'll need me to help restrain you from killing them." Turning, he said, "Luna, Falkar, Varion, go get the Selkie Crystal." As the three began to leave, Rulna gripped Luna's hand and murmured, "Be careful. If you have any problems, you can use Holy to create a flare." Luna nodded, gripped his hand tightly for a moment, then swiftly ran after Varion and Falkar.

As Rulna turned back toward Layle, the Clavat cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "I think it's about time we found out where Zinka and Grule are, don't you?"

Rulna grimly nodded. "Just don't kill them. They certainly won't talk if you do that." Eager to hurt these Bearers who had hurt him, his friends, and Belle, Layle prepared to wake them and torture information out of them.

"Hold it right there, Layle!" Both Rulna and Layle looked up at the voice and gasped. It was Zinka who had spoken. Grule stood next to him with Belle, Nakta, and Yania on their knees in front of him. Each of the three had their wrists and ankles bound, and Grule was standing behind them with a sword pressed against Belle's back.

Layle grimaced. He quickly tried to grab Grule with Gravity without moving his hands or fingers, but his enemies were out of range. "Let her go, Zinka!"

"Oh, I will, just as soon as you release Ragna and Comar." As Zinka spoke, Layle saw Grule whispering in Belle's ear and wickedly smiling. Her face was full of horror.

Layle knew he had no choice. "Fine."

Belle, however, did not agree with his decision. "Layle, don't-" she cried, but Grule hit her to end her protests.

Layle stepped forward and prepared to throw something at Grule, but Rulna held him back. "Touch her again and I'll kill you!"

Grule only smiled at the threat. "Watch what you say, Crystal Bearer. I'm the one with power over Death." His sword glowed with a sickly-green aura as he infused it with Bio, and he held it close to Belle's neck.

"That's enough, Grule," Zinka declared. Smirking, Grule withdrew his Bio spell from his sword, but he kept it's tip near Belle. "Just hand over Comar and Ragna, and this will all be over."

Layle grabbed the two unconscious men next to him with Gravity and slowly brought them toward Zinka. Then the blue auras around them vanished, and they dropped to the ground.

Zinka beckoned to Grule. "Release the Clavats." Because he was too impatient to untie them, Grule sliced apart the ropes binding Nakta and Yania. As they ran back to Layle and Rulna, Zinka said, "Now, if you promise to quit following us, the Selkie is yours."

Normally, Layle would do no such thing. He knew how evil these men were, and he greatly suspected that they would continue to murder innocents and cause havoc within these lands. But he would do anything to save Belle. "I promise."

Zinka smiled as Grule cut open Belle's bonds and shoved her forward. She hurriedly stood and tried to flee, but her last few days of captivity and abuse had greatly weakened her. She stumbled to the ground, then determinedly got to her feet and kept going. Layle immediately lost all sense of caution and ran toward her. He did not even notice Zinka and Grule grabbing the bodies of Comar and Ragna and running southwest.

All of Layle's pain and anger vanished. He completely forgot about the people and things happening around him. All he saw was Belle. He ran faster than he had ever run in his life.

Belle also ran toward him, which caused her to stumble once more. By this time, Layle had closed the distance between them. He caught her as she stumbled forward, and she threw her arms around him. As she cried into his shoulder and murmured his name, he held her close, pressed his cheek against the top of her head, and shut his eyes. He felt like he should say something, but he could think of nothing. Then all thoughts of saying anything vanished. He only wished to hold her, to know she was safe with him. So he held her even tighter, so tight that it surely must have hurt her, but she did not complain. She, too, held him so tightly that it hurt, but he did not care. No pain or event could pull him away from her now.

"Belle," he whispered, "I'll never leave you again."

* * *

Half an hour later, Layle and Belle were still standing together. Her sobbing had diminished, and she was beginning to reply to Layle's whispers. The other six Crystal Bearers were about a hundred yards away, talking to the Selkies from Rebena Te Ra, who were all standing next to the Selkie Crystal. Zinka and Grule had long ago vanished from sight.

Finally, when they were done speaking with the Selkies, the Crystal Bearers walked over to Layle. Still holding Belle, the Clavat looked up at them. "Layle," Rulna said, "we're going after them."

Layle was shocked. "We can't. We promised-"

"You promised, Layle. We had nothing to do with it. Besides, we can't let those evil men go free. They have taken hundreds of innocent lives, including those of your friends, Olgra and Trookle."

The blonde Clavat shook his head. "I can't go with you. I won't endanger Belle."

"We understand. We are sending the Selkies back with the Crystal. Would you go with them? They're going to need a bodyguard in case those men somehow avoid us and come back for the Crystal."

Layle nodded. "Of course I will." Keeping one arm protectively around Belle, he shook the hands of the three Selkies. "Good luck. Don't let them get away."

Rulna smiled. "Don't worry. We won't."

Next, he shook the hands of Nakta and Yania. "Thanks for all your help," Nakta told him. "We never would have found the Selkies without you or Belle. Without you two, we never would have had the chance to avenge Olgra and prevent his dark vision from coming true."

Then came Varion. "You're going with them?" Layle inquired.

The Yuke looked west. "I can't go back, Layle. I came here to explore the world and leave the restrictions of my home. And that is what I shall do. Plus, if I go with you, I am certain I will never be rid of this presence that plagues my soul and draws me west. I must find it and destroy it. Whatever it is, it told me to become the allies of those four men. So, I have a feeling that, if we end their evil lives, my suffering will be at an end."

Layle nodded and extended out his hand. "Be careful, Varion."

As they shook hands, he could have sworn he saw Varion's helmet smile. "You too, Layle. Although I doubt that you've ever been careful in your life."

Layle grinned in response, and then it was over. He waved as the six searched for Zinka and Grule's tracks and followed them.

Following the mob of Selkies in front of him, Layle headed in the opposite direction. While he did feel sad seeing his friends leave, he was still happy. For he was with Belle now. And that was all that mattered.


	24. A Change of Heart

Finally, summer is here, and I have plenty of time to write and update this wonderful story!

I am extremely grateful to all those who have read and reviewed my story, and I greatly look forward to everything you have to say!

By the way, the next review will be the fiftieth one. So...whoever creates my fiftieth review will receive a prize!

And with that, I present to you my new chapter. Please, enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Change of Heart

The six Crystal Bearers traveled efficiently, with very few breaks and a fast pace. However, as the sun set and the world became dark, continuing onward was dangerous. Only a few hours after they had left Layle, they chose to halt and wait until the morning to continue.

As the others prepared to eat a small, tasteless dinner of bread and cheese, Nakta stared southwest. Even in the darkness, he could clearly see the footprints of Grule and Zinka, and he wished only to follow the tracks and kill their owners.

A rustle of leaves and the snap of twigs sounded behind him. "Nakta," Yania said softly, "supper's ready."

"I'm not hungry." Instead of thinking of food, he thought of how satisfying it would be to murder Grule.

Yania quietly came up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. "You need to rest, Nakta."

Nakta gave the slightest shake of his head. "I need to avenge Trookle. If it were up to me, we never would have stopped in the first place."

"We'll catch them in the morning. But you need to regain your energy, to prepare for when we find them." The female Clavat gripped his hand and gently pulled him away from the darkness toward the warm fire. "Come."

Knowing better than to argue with Yania, Nakta allowed her to lead him to the fire. As they walked, he glanced back once and glared into the night. He hoped with all his heart that his enemies felt his glare and were filled with fear.

* * *

Far above the valley in which the six sat, standing upon the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley, Zinka and Grule watched the distant fire flicker. The unconscious bodies of Ragna and Comar lay behind them. "I'm surprised they followed us," Grule admitted. "They seemed far too just to break their word and come after us."

"One of them is returning to the east," Zinka informed him. "I believe it must be the blonde Clavat. He's the one who promised not to give chase. Plus, he was deeply concerned for that Selkie. Now that they're together, I doubt he would place her in further danger."

"Let's hope they enjoy each other's company. While they can." Grule stretched, cracked his fingers and neck, and laid back against a conveniently smooth rock. "What if the one heading east is the Yuke?"

The Bearer with ears of crystal shook his head. "Our master's spell is far too strong. He will come to us, whether he wishes to or not."

Grule closed his eyes and smiled. "Soon, it won't matter what he wishes. It won't be long before he's ours."

Zinka silently nodded and watched the fire in the distance. Long after Grule had drifted into slumber, he remained there, listening closely to the sounds of his enemies' crystals, listening as the one slowly moved further and further away.

* * *

Two days later, in the eastern end of the Rebena Plains, the Selkies of Rebena Te Ra walked into the new light of the rising sun. The Selkie Crystal, being carried by the strongest of the Selkie men, was beautiful as it glittered in the morning light. Within the middle of the Selkie crowd was a single Clavat, carrying a sleeping female Selkie within his arms. The crystal upon his cheek shone like a lone star within a moonless night, its light as bright and comforting as that of the Selkie Crystal.

Some of the light being reflected from his crystal crossed over Belle's closed eyes. Groaning, she unconsciously shifted so that the light was no longer in her eyes. Layle responded by holding her closer so the light would not bother her.

This morning, when the Selkies had decided to begin moving again, Layle had chosen to carry her and allow her to sleep. She most certainly needed it. During the last couple of days, she had tightly gripped his arm during the entire walk. She had said nothing, and looked nowhere but forward. Throughout the day, he could see that she was somewhere else. He had no idea what had happened to her over the past couple of weeks, but it had obviously left her hurt and traumatized. Fortunately, she was not truly gone; she ate and drank when offered food and drink, and she responded to his occasional question. Still, she seemed to be partly in the past and could not completely believe that she had been saved.

Her strange behavior only amplified Layle's anger toward those who had hurt her. As the Selkies around him cheered at the sight of Rebena Te Ra in the distance, he imagined all the ways he could fill Zinka and Comar with excruciating pain.

His thoughts of his enemies vanished as he felt Belle shuffle in his arms. Looking down, he saw her eyes slowly open and fix upon him. She gave him a very tired smile. "Layle," she happily murmured. One of her hands rose and stroked his cheek. "I've finally found you." Her smile suddenly became a worried frown. "Are you going to leave me again?

Layle smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

That made her even happier than before, her face breaking into a sleepy grin. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest. "I missed you."

The Clavat said nothing after that. Instead, he smiled, for he was glad to see that Belle was so happy. He felt warm and content with her in his arms, leaning against him. For a few blissful moments, he forgot everything else and just enjoyed being with Belle.

But, of course, that had to end. Belle's eyes suddenly widened, and she unwrapped herself from him and looked around. "What's going on? Where are we?"

Layle gestured in front of them. Belle looked and saw Rebena Te Ra only a few hundred yards away. Suddenly, she remembered everything that had occurred over the past few days and turned to him. "Where are those men with the black crystals?"

"My friends are chasing them."

Belle beckoned for him to let go of her, and he slowly lowered her legs to the ground. She shakily stood and faced him. "You mean you just left them? Do you have any idea how powerful those men are, Layle?"

He nodded. The Selkie opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted by saying, "My friends are strong, as well. They can handle themselves." Unfortunately, he didn't completely believe himself.

Belle heard the doubt in his voice. "We have to go back!"

She immediately began to walk west, but she stumbled and fell forward. Layle caught her before she could hit the ground, and he continued to grip her arms when she was standing once more. "I can't go back, Belle."

"Why not?" she screamed in fury. "Do you want them to die?"

"No, Belle, I don't want you to die!" he yelled back. At that, the anger left her face. Layle took in a few deep breaths, then softly whispered, "Those men hurt you, Belle. They tortured you, beat you, and nearly killed you. I am not going to let that happen again. I refuse to let you die because of me." He shuddered, let go of Belle, and turned around. For some reason, he suddenly could not meet her eyes. He was afraid of what he would see in them.

Then, a warm hand softly gripped his shoulder. Belle turned him so that their eyes met. "Layle," she murmured. He could see in her eyes that she was a bit surprised that he was worried for her. But he also saw worry within them. She touched his cheek and stared at him for a few moments, then realized what she was doing and lowered her hands to her sides. "I understand that you are worried for me," she admitted, "just as I am for you. But if we don't do anything, if we don't go back, your friends could be killed." Fury suddenly sprang into her eyes. "Those men will escape. I can't let that happen! Those men must pay!"

Layle was shocked. Before this, Belle had always done whatever she could to save herself. Either she truly hated these men, or she had gone completely mad.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and began walking west. "I'm going." She half-turned toward him. "You can tag along if you want."

Layle didn't even notice that she was using the same words he had used when she had arrived in Fum. "Belle, I promised not to follow them! I may be many things, but I am not someone who breaks his word!"

The Selkie put her hands on her hips. "You also promised never to leave me, didn't you?" Layle's mouth dropped slightly open, and she laughed. "Which is it going to be? Are you going to break your promise to me, or to my enemies?" She shrugged and turned westward. "It's not like I care or anything. I would be perfectly fine without your help. After all, I am a Selkie." With that, she began jogging away from the rising sun.

Layle remained slightly shocked for a few moments longer. Then a small smile crept onto his face, and he ran after her.

* * *

Far to the west, beyond the Rebena Plains, the six Crystal Bearers ran after Zinka, Grule, Ragna, and Comar. They had finally spotted the four evil men this morning, which had caused Nakta to fill with rage and sprint toward them. For at least an hour, they had kept this tiring chase up. Finally, when they were extremely tired and close to needing a break, they saw that the four were weary and slowing down. Inspired by this, they continued to run, slowly closing the distance between themselves and their enemies.

Seeing that they were coming closer, the four quickened their pace. Then, to their dismay, they ran into a vertical cliff. They had been so busy watching the six following them that they hadn't noticed they were coming to a dead end.

After a few quick moments of searching, Zinka noticed a hole in the cliff to their left. Calling to his allies, he led the group of four through the hole. A couple minutes later, the other six Crystal Bearers entered the same opening.

They crawled through a small tunnel for a few minutes, the light from the entrance behind them slowly fading. Finally, when it was almost completely dark, they saw a light ahead of them. Soon, the tunnel widened, and they were able to stand and walk forward.

All this while, they had slowly moved further and further underground, for the tunnel sloped downward. Not long after they had begun walking, the ground leveled out, and they exited the tunnel by entering a large cavern. A strange green light radiated from the walls, ceiling, and floor, causing the entire cavern to glow with a sickly green aura. Several other, larger tunnels lay at the end of the room, leading even further underground.

In the center of the rock room, panting and exhausted, were the four Bearers with black crystals.

Nakta unleashed an inhuman noise full of fury and sadness, then charged at his enemies. The four in front of him suddenly seemed to lose their weariness, almost as if it had never existed at all. Ragna thrust his hands into the ground and created a tremendous Quake spell. The cavern violently shook, causing bits of the ceiling to break away and fall downward. Comar grabbed the falling rocks and threw them with amazing speed at his enemies. Although the Quake had caused him to fall to the ground, Rulna managed to create Barriers, which shattered Comar's Meteors.

Ignoring the bloody scratches he had received, Nakta stood and began running again. Comar yelled something to Grule and grabbed two more rocks. Knowing the blonde Clavat would throw his Meteors at Nakta, Rulna created a Barrier in front of the his ally. Unfortunately, his enemies had anticipated this. Grule shot a Bio spell into the Barrier, which caused it to deteriorate. Before the Selkie could make another Barrier, Comar threw his Meteors at Nakta.

His anger powering him, Nakta roared and shot two lightning bolts out of his hands and shattered the Meteors. Two Bio spheres rushed at him, but he managed to jump over them both. Now flying through the air, he drew his sword, filled it with Thunder, and brought it crashing down upon Grule. The Bio Bearer just barely managed to unsheathe his own sword and block the attack. Nakta's sword came down so quickly that, when the two blades struck, several lightning bolts shot out of the blade and struck Ragna and Comar. Screaming in anger, Nakta raised his sword and brought it down once more. Grule rolled away, just barely dodging the attack. Pushing himself backward, he rolled onto his feet, filled his blade with Bio, and stabbed at the Clavat. Thus began their battle, their magic-filled swords clashing together with amazing power and force.

Hoping Grule could handle himself, Ragna and Comar pushed themselves to their feet and charged at the other five Crystal Bearers. When Ragna charged with his sword in his hands, Luna drew two knives and chucked them at him. He managed to dodge both and continued forward. The female Selkie responded by bringing out two more knives and jumping at him. Both were swift and agile, and neither could touch the other as they dodged and blocked each other's attacks.

Comar grabbed several rocks from the ground and threw them at the remaining four. As Rulna blocked every attack with a Barrier, Yania cast Blizzard spells upon Comar. Unfortunately, he was quick and managed to dodge her attacks while still barraging them with boulders. Falkar remained behind Rulna, watching his allies closely, ready to Cure them if any were to become injured.

All the while, Varion hid within the tunnel which had led them into this cavern. It was not that he was scared of being hurt; instead, he was frightened of hurting others. His Bearer powers were extremely dangerous, and he was scared of what would happen if he were to use them.

Then, as he was watching the battle, a cold blade touched his neck. "Don't make a single noise," Zinka whispered into the side of his helmet. Varion was instantly filled with fear, leaving him no chance to wonder how Zinka had gotten behind him. "We're leaving," the man with ears of crystal murmured. "Quietly, now." Then, just as silently as he had entered, he exited with the Yuke shaking under the threat of his blade.


	25. Into the Dark

Yes, another chapter finished! And this one's really long, too!

So, I have a confession to make. I made a mistake. In Crystal Bearers the game, I thought that Amidatelion had a green crystal, which is why I gave Varion a green crystal as well. However, I just played the game again, and I realized that her spine looked green in the beginning because of the Crystal Idol, which is green. When that was gone, I saw that she actually had a blue spine, not a green one.

Well, it's too late for me to go back, so I'm just going to stick with Varion's crystal being green. However, whenever you see that, you should imagine it to actually be blue, because I now know that that is the way it should be.

Oh, and congratulations to my fiftieth reviewer, arrowriver! Thank you so much for reviewing, and as a prize, I will answer any question that you have! Be careful, though; I am only going to answer one question, and it must be about my story.

Finally, I wish to thank you all who are reading this chapter and have stuck with me from the beginning to now. You are all so great! Have fun with the chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Five: Into the Dark

After a few hours of running, Belle and Layle came across a beautiful stream and decided to take a short break. Belle moved to pick some blackberries from a bush near the stream, but she was so exhausted that she was shaking and could not pick a berry without touching the thorns surrounding it. Layle gently pulled her away from the bush and insisted that she rest. It didn't take much to persuade her; a few seconds later, she was wearily sitting on the ground, her back resting against a log.

Layle went to the stream, filled a small water bottle he had been carrying this entire trip, and brought it to her. Because she was still shaking, he lifted the bottle to her lips and tipped it up for her. Although she hated to be dependent upon others, she allowed Layle to assist her in this. After some more persuasion, he convinced her to remain where she was while he picked berries and other edible plants and brought them to her. She glared at him for a moment because he was forcing her to rest, but she eventually complied and let him help her.

The Clavat left the Selkie to pick berries further upstream. He was in the middle of picking when he saw a wild, blue chocobo drinking from the stream. Hearing him, the huge bird tensed and warily watched him, ready to flee or attack. Layle laughed and grabbed it with Gravity. A blue aura appeared around the chocobo, and it helplessly flapped its wings in an attempt to escape. Ignoring it, he held it with one hand, picked a few more berries with the other, then headed back toward Belle.

When she saw him with a chocobo floating above him, her face lit up with glee. "Wow, you found a chocobo! What are the chances of that? This is great!"

Layle frowned and looked at her with confusion. "Great? I don't know if you've ever eaten chocobo before, but they really don't taste that great."

The Selkie's mouth dropped in surprise and horror. "I'm not going to eat a _chocobo_! Are you insane? We're going to ride it!"

"That isn't so good, either."

Belle crossed her arms and glared at him, but there was a hint of a smile in her face. "And why's that?"

Layle pointed to its bare back. "We forgot to bring a saddle."

The Selkie rolled her eyes. "You are _such _a pessimist!" Walking toward him, she ordered, "Now, put that chocobo down! If you aren't going to ride it, then I am!"

Chuckling, Layle set the bird down and hopped onto its back. Still smiling, Belle jumped on behind him. Then she realized how close together they were, and her smile vanished. Suddenly feeling very awkward, she tried to hang onto the chocobo without actually touching Layle.

"You had better hang on."

Belle knowingly nodded. "If you're as good with a chocobo as you are with falling airships, then yes, I will be sure to hang on."

Rolling his eyes, Layle kicked the chocobo hard with his heels. Fortunately, the chocobo did as he wished and immediately began running. Belle yelped when she nearly tumbled off the chocobo, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Layle. She instantly felt extremely awkward and wished to let go, but she was certain she would fall off if she did so. Her body was extremely tense as she continued to hang onto Layle.

However, after several minutes had passed, Layle felt a change behind him. Belle's arms relaxed around him, and she eventually leaned forward and lay her head across his back. Although he could not see it, he sensed that she was smiling. For a single moment, Layle forgot about the journey west, and he felt truly happy.

Then he remembered that his friends could be in danger, and he focused on getting the chocobo to hurry forward.

* * *

After exiting the underground caves, Zinka led Varion around the cliffs. On the other side, Zinka forced the Yuke to move a boulder leaning against the cliffs. Once Varion had rolled it aside, he saw that it had been hiding another entrance into the caves.

"How did you know this was here?" he warily questioned Zinka.

The Clavat smiled. "We've known about this place for quite some time. That's why we led you and your friends here." He pressed the tip of his sword against the Yuke's back. "Forward!" Moving against his will, the Yuke slowly continued into the tunnel.

Despite the fact that Zinka was holding him hostage, Varion was desperate to get information out of the Clavat. "Several days ago, _something _spoke to me and told me to come west and find you, Zinka." The Yuke slightly turned his head so he could see his enemy's face. "Why?"

For a few moments, Zinka was silent and expressionless. Then he decided that it would be alright to answer the question. "That was my master. He has taken a liking to you, Varion. Both he and I wish for you to join us."

"But why?"

Zinka looked surprised, as if the answer was obvious. "Because you are a Crystal Bearer. You possess an amazing gift, Varion."

"And what is that gift, Zinka? What is this power which I have unwillingly been given?"

The Clavat evilly smiled. "It is Darkness." Although he could see nothing behind Varion's helmet, Zinka suspected that the Yuke was confused. "Darkness is a spell which has vanished from the world. It was used long ago by monsters and magicians of great power. Whenever it was used against someone, that person would be weakened, both physically and mentally. Those hit by the spell would often forget everything about themselves, and would even murder their own allies."

Zinka's eyes were suddenly filled with awe and appraisal. "But those effects were short and weak. You have a far greater ability, Varion. Your powers are so strong that they can completely destroy the minds of your enemies. No matter how strong they may be, none can withstand the power of your spell. They will even fight for you. Once Darkness has been cast upon them, they will forever be willing to serve and defend you." Zinka grinned as he imagined the possibilities. "You could simply cast a single spell of Darkness, and that one man would be willing to die for you. With such power, you could easily turn your worst enemies into your closest allies. Not a single man could stand up to you! You would be undefeatable!"

Varion nodded. "Darkness. That name most definitely suits such an evil spell."

Zinka was shocked. He did not understand how Varion could possibly dislike his power. "Evil? Darkness is not evil." He smiled and gestured to the dark tunnel around them. "Where there is day, there is night; where there is light, there is Darkness. It is completely natural."

Stopping and looking toward Zinka, Varion replied. "No, it is not." He pointed to the distant light coming from the entrance, then to the soft green light that came from the crystal embedded within his armored arm. "There is always light. Even in the dead of night, fires burn, stars simmer, the moon glows, and crystals shine. There is no place for Darkness in this world."

He continued by pointing to Zinka's ears of black crystal. "Your crystal was once as bright as mine, was it not? It has lost its light. You must return it to its natural color."

During Varion's speech, Zinka had looked surprised and confused. Now, he was obviously angry, his eyes filled with rage as he glared at Varion. "You know nothing, Yuke! You are as ignorant as a child!" He pointed to his black crystal. "You believe this to be evil and unnatural, but you are wrong! This is the color all crystals ought to be!" Suddenly, he began speaking to Varion using his Bearer powers, his voice deep and dark within Varion's mind. "_I have been given a magnificent power, the likes of which this world has never seen before!" _Dropping his sword, Zinka grabbed Varion's crystal with one hand. At his touch, the crystal turned a strange, purple color. He shoved the other hand into the Yuke's face, and a gas of the same color drifted out of his hand and into Varion's helmet.

When he inhaled the gas, Varion's throat burned as if it was being scorched by a tremendous fire. His entire body began to feel the same way as the poison spread through him, and he immediately began coughing. _"How does it feel to be breathing in miasma?" _Zinka laughed as the Yuke continued to cough and suffer. _"Soon, the entire world will be covered in an endless cloud of miasma!"_

Then he released Varion's crystal. Its green color instantly returned, and Varion suddenly felt better. When he gulped in air, the miasma would not enter his body.

Zinka smiled and nodded. _"As you can see, Crystal Bearers are immune to miasma. Their crystals, as well as the four tribal crystals, are unlike normal crystals. The crystals of Crystal Bearers protect their wearers, and the tribal crystals create large, spherical barriers which miasma cannot pass through."_

Releasing the Yuke, Zinka stepped back and quit creating miasma. "For thousands of years, miasma has been absent from this world." This time, he actually spoke to Varion with his mouth rather than with his mind. "But that is changing now." The Clavat held out his hand to Varion. "The spread of miasma is inevitable, Varion. That is why I joined them. That is why you must join us. Together, we can help change the world."

Rising to his feet, Varion hit away Zinka's hand and stepped away. "Change the world? You would destroy the world!"

Zinka shook his head. "One day, the world will be covered in miasma. The others with me may not care whether or not people are killed in the process. But I care. When the time comes, I shall make sure the people of this world are warned of the miasma and are safe within the shelter of the tribal crystals."

"Don't make me laugh! You were just suggesting that I use my powers to destroy the minds of my foes and turn them into mindless slaves. You care nothing for the people of this world!"

Rather than replying, Zinka motioned forward with his sword. Disgusted and enraged, but still possessing enough reason to do as Zinka asked, Varion stomped onward down the tunnel.

After a while, they entered a glowing, green cavern similar to the one which Varion and Zinka had left. This, too, had several tunnels branching out from it, and Zinka led them through one. They passed through a few more of these caverns, and Zinka never hesitated when picking which tunnel to go through next.

Finally, after many long minutes of walking, they came into a gigantic cavern ten times as big as the previous ones. In the center of this one were four cone-shaped pillars, which were made of smooth, shiny rock that was as black as night.

Once they were standing in between two of these pillars, Zinka ordered Varion to halt. "I know you do not completely trust me," Zinka told the Yuke, "and that you doubt my intentions. But I insist that you join our cause." Varion shook his head. "Are you certain you want to do that?"

Zinka was slightly surprised when the Yuke put the chin of his helmet in his hand, as if he was actually considering it. After a few long seconds of silence, he asked, "Why are you here, Zinka?" The Clavat was caught off guard by the question. Because he did not answer, Varion spoke for him. "You're here to convince me to join you, to assist you in spreading miasma, and to use my powers for your benefit."

When Zinka opened his mouth to speak, Varion raised his hand to silence him. "Now, let me tell you why _I _am here. Among my people, the Yukes, there were only two Crystal Bearers: myself, and a woman named Amidatelion. She possessed the power of Summoning, and she managed to use that power to summon a portal between the Yuke world and this world. Her powers were seen as a blessing given by the Crystal Principle, and she was praised by my people.

"But it was different for me. When I was a child, I discovered my powers by accidentally shooting a ball of Darkness into my father. It drove him insane. At first, all he did was grab his head and scream. Then, when my mother tried to help him, he hit her aside. He picked her up with a single hand, as if my spell had given him inhuman strength, and he threw her so hard that she broke through the walls of my house. He would have continued to attack her had another Yuke not come and knocked him unconscious. For a few weeks, we kept him within a cell. The entire time, he screamed and laughed like a madman. One day, he stopped, and we discovered that he had managed to tear his helmet in half, thus breaking his armor and killing himself.

"After that, my powers were always viewed as evil. Although I vowed never to use them again, I was still seen as a terrible man with a terrible power."

Varion had been staring off into space, but now he looked straight at Zinka. "That is why I left the Yukes and came here. To escape those who had witnessed my powers, so that I could begin a life where I would never be reminded of my powers again." The Yuke shook his head in sadness. "Don't you see? They saw my Bearer powers for what they truly were: evil. You said Darkness had vanished from the world. That's the way it ought to stay. I will never use my powers again, and I will never join you!"

To his surprise, Varion saw pity within Zinka's eyes. The Clavat placed a hand upon the Yuke's shoulder.

Then the hand gripped his shoulder so hard that it hurt. "So be it." And he thrust Varion forward, between the four pillars within the middle of the room. A stream of dark light came out of the tip of each pillar and entered Varion. The room was instantly filled with his screams.

Ignoring Varion's pain-filled cries, Zinka closed his eyes and spoke to Ragna, Comar, and Grule. _"I have the Yuke," _he told them. _"The transformation has begun."_

* * *

Within the other cavern, the three men with black crystals heard Zinka's message and instantly began to move back. Ragna managed to jump over one of Luna's attacks, create a ball of Quake within his hands, and shove it into the ground. As his enemies collapsed to the ground, he ran to Grule and dragged him away from Nakta. Nakta began to give chase, but Comar managed to hit him with a Meteor and send him flying toward the other end of the room. Once Grule had gotten to his feet, the three fled into a tunnel at the end of the room.

As soon as Falkar had Cured his allies, they gave chase. Whenever the two groups would spot each other, Nakta would shoot lightning bolts one way and Grule would shoot Bio spells the other way. At one point, Nakta was hit by a Bio ball, but he was instantly healed by Falkar.

It was Luna who noticed Varion's absence. "Where's Varion?" she cried. When the other's faces filled with horror, she cursed and ordered them to hurry. "They must have captured him," she concluded. "We've got to find him, before it's too late!"

Finally, after a long chase through many different tunnels, they came upon a humongous cavern larger than the others they had passed through. The first thing they saw was Grule, Ragna, and Comar running away from them. Then they saw what their enemies were running toward.

It was Varion. He was kneeling between four black, cone-shaped pillars. A dark stream of light flowed from each pillar into the body of the Yuke. Although black is the absence of light, these streams of darkness somehow seemed to be brightly glowing.

There was something different about Varion. He appeared to have grown larger, as if his armor had expanded and grown three times bigger. Luna had especially keen eyes, and she could see that his fingers were far larger and longer than they should've been. In fact, they were extremely curved and sharp, like long, armored claws.

Zinka was standing to the side of the pillars. "Stay right there!" he commanded. "If you move, I will destroy him." To prove it, he placed a hand upon one of the pillars. The amount of light coming out of it increased, and Varion screamed in response.

The Crystal Bearers shuddered at the inhuman noise of complete pain and suffering. "Let him go!" Luna commanded.

Smiling, he replied, "Remain where you are, and I shall free him."

So the Bearers waited. When Zinka's three allies had reached the pillars, Grule turned around and laughed. Nakta gave him a furious glare, but he managed to restrain himself from running forward. Smiling, the Bio Bearer withdrew an item from his cloak. Yania gasped when she recognized it.

It was Trookle's crystal.

Roaring with complete hatred, Nakta sprinted forward with an amazing speed. Instantly frightened at his inhuman agility, Comar threw Meteors at him, Ragna created a Quake, and Grule shot Bio spells at him. He avoided every attack. Jumping over the Quake, soaring between the two Meteors, and rolling under the Bio spheres, he was untouched by his enemies' spells.

Then, when Nakta was nearly upon them, Zinka whispered something to Varion and released him.

As soon as the dark light around him disappeared, Varion looked upward. Seeing Nakta, he stood, raised a hand, and shot a ball of Darkness into him. The ball was as quick as a bullet, and it entered Nakta's body with a thick, liquidly sound.

The Clavat immediately collapsed, his body tumbling to the ground and colliding with the sharp, rocky floor beneath him. Yania screamed and rushed forward. Seeing the sudden movement, Varion shot another Dark spell toward her. Rulna created a Barrier, but the Darkness passed through the magical wall as if it was nothing more than a shadow. When it entered her, Yania fell to her knees and released a scream of intense pain.

This had all happened so quickly that the others had had little time to do anything. Now, since Yania was closer, Falkar Cured her first. She gasped in relief as the extreme pain vanished, and Falkar prepared to Cure Nakta. He was surprised to see the male Clavat standing, looking perfectly alright.

Then Nakta turned around, saw Yania lying helpless on the ground, and ran at her with his sword in his hand. His eyes were filled with a terrible madness.

Yania was far too shocked at this to try and avoid his attack. He would have decapitated her had Luna not intervened. Jumping in front of Yania, Luna blocked Nakta's sword with one knife and stabbed the other into his stomach. Yania screamed when she saw this, but Nakta simply laughed and swung his sword at Luna. Although she was surprised that he hadn't shown a single sign of pain, Luna reacted quickly and managed to dodge the attack.

Fortunately, Falkar had realized that it was Varion's spell which had caused Nakta to act like this. Hoping he was doing the right thing, he cast a Cure spell upon Nakta. Thankfully, Falkar's plan worked, and Nakta was instantly Cured of the Darkness spell. Suddenly feeling the pain in his side, Nakta gasped as he pulled Luna's knife out of his body. Falkar immediately Cured him once more.

Varion saw that it was Falkar who had ended his Darkness spells. Unleashing an animal roar, he shot a Dark ball into the Selkie.

Shouting in terrible pain, Falkar collapsed with his hands gripping his head. Rulna was instantly next to him, trying to get Falkar to look at him. "Falkar!" he yelled. "Falkar, you must Cure yourself!" But the healer was not listening. Still screaming, he was now clawing at his own face with such force that he broke his skin and began bleeding. Despite this, he continued to claw at his face and screech in excruciating pain.

Fortunately, Varion did not continue to attack him. Instead, he fell to his knees, grabbed his helmet, and cried out in agony. As he did, his body continued to grow and change.

Behind the screaming Yuke, Ragna, Comar, Zinka, and Grule were all releasing miasma from their open hands. Within a few seconds, they had created a miasma stream. Four ghosts and four Nightmares emerged from it. These Nightmares looked exactly like transparent, undead horses. With the four men yelling commands at them, the undead creatures charged at the Crystal Bearers gathered around Falkar.

Seeing the monsters, Luna stood and cast Holy upon every single monster. The monsters panicked for only a second as they were turned into physical, living beings, then they forgot all fear and continued onward. While Rulna remained with Falkar, Yania, Luna, and Nakta all ran to battle the oncoming monsters.

Since Luna was the quickest, she was soon far in front of the two Clavats. Seeing this, the monsters attacked her first. One ghost swung its blue lantern forward, which sent a huge Blizzard ball at the Selkie. Another banged its lanterns together, creating a Slow spell. Finally, one of the Nightmares shot a fireball out of its mouth.

Because of the Slow spell, Luna was unable to dodge the other two attacks. The Blizzard spell froze her for an instant, then the Nightmare's fireball shattered the ice and smashed into her. Her unconscious body collapsed to the rocky ground.

Then the Clavats caught up to her. As Yania froze the Nightmares, Nakta paralyzed the ghosts with Thunder. Next, he pounced upon the ghosts and began tearing them to shreds as Yania continued to keep the Nightmares right where they were. Before long, the two humans had destroyed every single monster.

They had no time to celebrate, though. Just as they destroyed the last Nightmare, Varion quit screaming. Now that his transformation had finished, he looked up at the two Clavats. He was now the size of a malboro. Not only that, but he now looked very similar to an armored lion. With four huge legs, a spiked back, huge claws, and a round helmet with a curved beak, Varion was no longer a Yuke; he was a gigantic, armored monster. Standing on his two hind legs and roaring, he fell back onto all four legs and charged straight at Nakta and Yania.

* * *

Because of their newly acquired chocobo, it did not take long for Belle and Layle to reach the cliffs. The wild creature was strong and accustomed to being chased, so it was able to run hard for the couple of hours that they rode it.

Fortunately, Layle's friends had left behind a trail that was very easy to follow. Coming to the entrance to the caves, they dismounted and let the chocobo go. Layle requested Belle to stay outside, but she immediately refused and ran into the tunnel before he could stop her.

Once they were in the caves, they could easily hear the screams of their friends. Filled with dread, Layle quickened his pace and followed the sound of their cries.

He was stunned when they found his friends. Rulna was crouched next to Falkar, who was screaming and suffering; Luna was unconscious; Nakta and Yania were fighting ghosts and Nightmares; and Varion was in the center of the room, yelling in pain and looking far different than the last time Layle had seen him.

Then he saw Zinka, Grule, Comar, and Ragna feeding miasma into the miasma stream. Layle was instantly reminded of Conall Curach. There, Ragna and Comar had created a miasma stream which first shot out some normal monsters, then they managed to summon the Dragon Zombie.

He pointed to the four men. "I have to stop them!" Then he pointed to Luna's unconscious body. "You need to get Luna out of there!" he told Belle.

Belle stubbornly shook her head. "I'm coming with you!" Layle turned, ready to snap at her. Then he saw the rage within her eyes, and he realized that she wanted to kill those men.

He shook his head. "You don't even have a weapon, Belle." Determined to stop her from following him, he added, "I'll just knock them unconscious. You can kill them all. Alright?"

She continued to glare at him for many long seconds, then angrily nodded. "Fine. But you owe me one!" Then she was gone, sprinting toward Luna.

Knowing he had no chance of sneaking toward his enemies, Layle ran straight at them. He hadn't gone very far when Varion stood and roared. Layle was shocked at what he saw. _What have they done to him? _he wondered.

But he had little time to ponder how Varion had been transformed. Varion had targeted Nakta and Yania and was running straight at them. Using the quick reflexes that had saved him so many times in his life, Layle grabbed two boulders and threw them at the Yuke. One hit Varion's body, and the other smashed into his head. Tumbling to the ground, Varion unleashed an animal-like cry of surprised pain. Coming back to his four feet, he roared and charged at Layle.

Layle waited until Varion was fairly close, then threw two more rocks at him. Unfortunately, Varion was prepared for this. With amazing power, Varion jumped far above the oncoming rocks and came speeding down toward Layle. The Clavat just barely managed to roll out of the way, Varion's huge claws digging into the rocks where Layle had just been standing

Roaring in anger, Varion withdrew his claws from the rocks and swung that hand at Layle. Grabbing the Yuke's helmet, Layle pulled himself away from the attack and onto Varion's head. Before Layle could damage him, Varion rose onto his hind legs, then slammed his forelegs into the ground. Layle flew forward, but he still managed to roll to his feet, grab two rocks, and chuck them into the Yuke's helmet. Because Varion hadn't expected him to recover so quickly, the Yuke was unable to dodge the projectiles. They both crashed into the left side of his head, causing him to fall onto his right side.

During the battle between Varion and Layle, Nakta and Yania had been running across the room toward them. Now they finally joined the fight. Determined to keep Varion where he was, Yania froze him with Blizzard, Nakta paralyzed him with Thunder, and Layle held him down with Gravity. Although the Yuke was extremely strong in this new form, he was unable to fight back against all three of their powerful spells.

Then Layle remembered his true enemies. Looking up, he saw that the four men with black crystals were still pouring miasma into the miasma stream. Telling Nakta and Yania to deal with Varion, Layle ran at them. Grabbing two small rocks, he threw them with such power that they were able to hit Comar and Grule. Because Zinka and Ragna had been so focused on the miasma stream, they were unable to react quickly and dodge the next two rocks Layle threw. With nobody powering it, the miasma stream now began to disintegrate.

Without any sense of caution, Layle continued to go forward. When Grule began to stand, Layle grabbed him and threw him into Ragna. The two cried out in pain and surprise and fell together to the ground.

Layle then grabbed Zinka and threw him at Comar, but the Meteor Bearer was ready. Dodging Zinka, Comar picked up two boulders and tossed them at Layle. Despite their amazing speed, Layle was able to roll away from the Meteors. Furious that his Meteors had missed, Comar grabbed two more rocks. Layle grabbed a stalactite hanging above Comar and pulled himself toward it. Comar's two Meteors just barely missed Layle's feet as he sped through the air.

Reaching the stalactite, Layle grabbed onto it, swung himself forward, and fell toward Comar. His enemy would have rolled out of the way, but Layle pushed him down with Gravity before he could. This caused Comar to fall onto his back, and Layle shoved his feet down and into Comar's stomach. Layle hit him so hard that the wind was knocked out of him, and he could do nothing but lay there and hold his pained stomach. Before Comar could recover, Layle clenched his throat with both hands, pushed him into the ground, and started choking him as hard as he could. Struggling to breathe in, Comar clawed and kicked at Layle, but Layle held on and continued to kill the blonde Clavat.

Then a Bio ball came out of nowhere and slipped into Layle's chest.

Falling away from Comar, Layle gasped as the poison entered him. His body filled with pain, and he began having trouble to breathe as the spell entered his lungs. When he made a failed attempt to breathe, Comar stood and kicked him in the side.

"Comar!" Zinka shouted. The blonde Clavat angrily turned around, ready to yell something back. But when he turned, he saw something that made his face turn ghostly pale.

Layle followed his gaze and saw a strange creature. It looked very much like a large panda that had no neck and could stand on two legs. All its body was covered in green fur, except for its stomach, which was white. It had a long black tail, as well as a black face with huge yellow eyes which looked very much like a frog's face. On its head were two black horns that curved above the creature. A few feet above its head, where the horns came back together, was a blue crystal hanging between the horns.

The creature looked at the four men with black crystals. "Leave this place," it commanded them. "You do not belong here."

Grule chuckled. "Who do you think you are?" He raised his hand, his open palm facing the creature.

"Grule, no!" Zinka shouted. But it was too late. Grule shot a Bio spell at the creature. With hardly any effort, the creature lifted its hand up, caught the green sphere, and closed its hand. When the hand reopened, the Bio ball was gone.

When the creature looked back up at them, Grule's face was full of awe. "Come on," Zinka told the others. "Let's get out of here." Knowing better than to mess with this being, the four followed Zinka and exited the cavern.

Seeing Layle writhing in pain upon the ground, the creature walked over and laid a hand upon his chest. Blue light seeped out of its hand, and Layle sighed in relief as he was Cured.

Before Layle could speak to it, the creature moved onward. In the center of the room, Varion was still being held down by Yania and Nakta. He roared and yelped like a trapped animal. The creature approached him and brushed its fingers against his arm. At its touch, the dark light which Zinka had put into Varion exited him. It rose up above the four pillars in the middle of the room. When it had all left the Yuke's body, it formed the shape of a gigantic, winged skeleton. The skeleton of darkness unleashed an ear-piercing scream, then it split apart and sunk back into the four dark pillars.

Once the light had left him, Varion returned to his Yuke form, and his unconscious body fell to the ground. As Nakta and Yania ran to him, the creature continued across the room. On this side of the cavern, Rulna, Luna, and Belle were holding a screaming Falkar to the ground. The creature put both hands upon the Selkie's shoulders, and he was instantly Cured.

Just as this being was Curing Falkar, Layle heard a familiar voice behind him. "Layle," it eerily whispered. Layle spun around and gasped at what he saw.

There, no more than ten feet away from him, was Amidatelion.

"Layle," she murmured, "you owe me one."

Layle was shocked. "Amidatelion…" he began, but he did not know what more to say.

The female Yuke ignored his confusion. "Layle," she continued, "you must complete the Resurrection."

Finally snapping out of his trance, Layle replied, "I did. It is done, Amidatelion. Your people are safe."

Amidatelion released a long sigh of happiness. "Thank you." She bowed her head forward. Then her body became transparent, and it slowly became less and less visible. Finally, after a few long seconds, it completely vanished.

Layle turned at the sound of another voice. "That was a spirit," the green creature told him. "These are the Shadowlands," it explained to him. "This is the realm of the dead." It pointed to where Amidatelion had just been standing. "That spirit was not at peace. That is why you saw her. But your words gave her the peace she needed. She can now move on to the next world."

Nakta and Yania had followed the monster. Eager to know more, Nakta asked, "You said this is the realm of the dead?" The creature nodded. "Does that mean I can speak with the dead?" His eyes filled with hope. "Does that mean I can talk to Trookle?"

The creature shook its head. "Only those who could not accept death remain here," it told him. "Restless spirits, who cannot move on because their souls are not at peace, reside here." It pointed to the four pillars in the center of the cave. "One such spirit is the Lich. Despite being dead for thousands of years, it continues to live here in the Shadowlands. But it is no ordinary spirit. It possesses such power that it has the ability to enter the bodies of the living and corrupt their souls. That is why I created the pillars, where it could be contained.

"But those men were able to summon it. Somehow, they knew it was there, and they managed to put it into the body of that Yuke and command it to attack you."

Layle was listening to the creature, but Nakta and Yania had stepped away. Nakta looked very confused. "That Yuke spoke to Layle," he murmured, "so where is Trookle? Why won't he speak to me?"

Yania laid a hand on his shoulder. "He must be at peace," she concluded. "Don't you see, Nakta? We were with him when he died. He said his final goodbyes to us. There is no need for him to return. He moved on, and so must we."

After a few long moments, Nakta nodded. "I'm glad his soul is at rest," he admitted. Yania smiled, gripped his hand tightly in her own, and led him back to the others.

Everyone was now gathered around Varion. Although he was unconscious, the Yuke was uncontrollably trembling. "What's wrong?" Yania asked them.

"The Lich has left a deadly spell upon him," the green creature explained. "Even I cannot heal this. I must return him to my people."

"Your people?" Although it had just saved them, Luna still did not completely trust this creature. "What exactly are you and your people? And where are you going to be taking him?"

"I am a Carbuncle," the creature answered. "We are going to Mag Mell."

Before the Selkie could question him further, the Carbuncle took Varion in his arms and began running. Without much of a choice, the Crystal Bearers and Belle followed the Carbuncle out of the Shadowlands and continued further west.


	26. The Threat in the West

Whoo hoo! Another chapter done!

I am afraid that I have another mistake to admit. The ghosts from the previous chapter and from Conall Curach are actually wraiths from the original Crystal Chronicles game.

Also, I just found out what the official name of Varion's power is: Curse. I found it in the Crystal Chronicles manual, which said that one of the conditions you could have is to be Cursed, which halves all your stats.

So, I apologize for not thoroughly researching that spell; I thought it was a nameless spell that could only be used by a few monsters, so I named it Darkness.

Well, enough of that. If there are any other mistakes I made, I apologize. Let us hope I make no more. Enjoy the update!

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Threat in the West

Fortunately, it only took the Crystal Bearers and Carbuncle about an hour to reach Mag Mell. As soon as they had reached it, the Carbuncle continued toward the center of the town.

That is, if it could be called a town. There were absolutely no buildings of any kind. In fact, the area was covered in a dense fog which greatly reduced the humans' visibility. But when they had gone a ways into Mag Mell, Layle was surprised at what he could see.

Mag Mell looked almost exactly like the Yuke Sky City. Several windowed, wooden structures floated in the air. They looked like upside down cones, with their tops covered in grass and strange plants. These floating structures were connected by long branches that emerged from the wooden structures. The branches were conveniently flat and smooth on the top, allowing Layle and his friends to run across them from platform to platform.

Each floating platform had a huge, white sphere laying on top of it. When Layle peered into one of them, he saw that a Carbuncle was sleeping within.

Before he could ponder this, Layle saw that the Carbuncle carrying Varion had stopped. Running to catch up with his friends, he then noticed that three other Carbuncles had joined it. All four Carbuncles placed both of their hands upon Varion's body. Their faces filled with concentration, and a strange blue light emerged from their hands and went into the Yuke.

As this happened, Varion quit trembling. His body went still, and his breathing became smooth and even. The Yuke must have then woken up, because he tilted his head up and looked around. Seeing the floating wooden structures, he happily murmured, "I'm home."

Then he remembered his past. "No," he cried, "no, I can't be home." The Yuke tried to push away the hands that were holding him. "I must leave. I am not welcome here."

The Carbuncle from the Shadowlands gestured for the other Carbuncles to let go. Laying him onto the soft grass, the Carbuncle gently held him down. "It's alright," it whispered. "You _are _welcome here, Varion. This is where you belong."

Staring at the Carbuncle, Varion shook his head. "My powers…they are evil. I must go. I am an abomination. I am an evil man with evil powers."

Silently shaking its head, the Carbuncle replied, "You are no such thing. You were always meant to have these powers, Varion." When the Yuke began to squirm and attempt to escape, the Carbuncle calmed him and made him look into its face. "You believe that Amidatelion was given her powers by the Crystal Principle. While her powers were given to her for a reason, you believe that yours should never have been created and are evil. But you are wrong." Opening one hand, the Carbuncle created black flames of Darkness within its open palm. "Darkness is a spell like any other one. It had to be given to a Crystal Bearer sometime. And the Crystal Principle chose you, Varion. For you are the most righteous Crystal Bearer of them all. While others may have used Darkness for their own selfish needs, you saw the danger of the spell and refused to use it." The Carbuncle made the black flames vanish, and it placed that hand upon Varion's shoulder. "You are the bravest Crystal Bearer there is, Varion. You were given extreme power, and you were wise enough to never use it at all. That is why the Crystal chose you."

Varion sighed in relief. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he relaxed into the soft grass beneath him, let out one more sigh of happiness and acceptance, and died.

The Carbuncle released the Yuke and stood. Realizing now that the Yuke was dead, Luna stepped toward the Carbuncle. "You said you would save him!" she shouted.

Looking at her, the Carbuncle sadly nodded. "I said we would try." It glanced back at Varion. "And we did. We were unable to Cure his body, but we did Cure his mind. He is at peace."

Luna angrily turned and walked away. Hoping they could ease her anger, Falkar and Rulna followed her. Nakta and Yania stepped away and quietly spoke to each other.

Layle kneeled next to Varion. "Be at peace," he murmured. Then, as he stood and looked up at the Carbuncles, he noticed something strange. While the one from the Shadowlands and one other had blue crystals between their horns, the other two had red crystals.

"Thank you for helping my friend," Layle said.

The Carbuncle from the Shadowlands nodded. "We are always willing to help those who are favored by the Crystal Principle."

Layle glanced up at the Carbuncle's crystal. "Is that why you possess magic?"

Nodding, the Carbuncle replied, "We were the first to ever be born with crystals. The Crystal Principle blessed us, so we guard it, as well as others who have been blessed, in return."

"Guard it? Did you even know that the Principle was being disrupted a few weeks ago?"

The Carbuncle somberly nodded. "We Carbuncles wished to rebalance the Principle, but we could not. We are the keepers of both Mag Mell and the Shadowlands, and our primary duty is to guard them." When Layle began to protest, it added, "That was the Crystal's wish."

"The Crystal?" he questioned.

"Long ago, there was a Great Crystal," it told him. "It watched over this world and controlled the fates of its inhabitants. It was even stronger than the four tribal crystals."

The Carbuncle sadly stared into the west. "But then it was shattered by a terrible meteor. The power of the Crystal was lost, and what remained of it became the crystals which you humans use as sources of power today. The meteor which had broken the Crystal spread miasma through the world, and the four tribes relied upon their tribal crystals to protect them."

Returning to the present, the Carbuncle looked at Layle. "But the miasma is returning once more. That is why the crystals of my brethren are turning red; they are tainted by the poison of the miasma."

Layle interrupted with a question. "Hang on a second. You said the meteor caused miasma to cover the world. What caused the miasma to vanish?"

The Carbuncle gave him an apologetic look for forgetting to tell him that answer. "The monster which had come into this world with the meteor, the Meteor Parasite, was creating the miasma. Once it had been destroyed, the miasma vanished from this world.

"Yet the miasma has returned, despite the Meteor Parasite's death. You see, there was a powerful being who had been created from the landing of the meteor, a creature dependent upon miasma. This creature's name was Raem." The Carbuncle pointed to the red crystals which the other Carbuncles possessed. "It is Raem who has revived the miasma. Somehow, he has brought it back into this world without the assistance of the Meteor Parasite."

The green creature pointed to the west, where an ominous, dark mountain stood upon the horizon. "That is the place where Raem resides," it told him. "Mount Vellenge. It is there that you must go."

Layle surprised it with a one-word response. "Why?"

"Because that is where the miasma can be stopped," it explained. "It is also where your enemies go." When Layle raised his eyebrows, the Carbuncle nodded. "Yes. That is where the ones who killed Varion are headed."

* * *

Once Zinka, Ragna, Grule, and Comar were out of the tunnels, they ran west. When they were far away from the Shadowlands, Grule commanded them to stop.

"What was that thing?" he asked. He immediately faced Zinka. "When I shot a Bio spell at it, you told me to stop. Why? What do you know that we don't?"

Comar and Ragna apparently didn't know anything either; they too looked questioningly at Zinka. Sighing, he replied, "That was a Carbuncle. They are extremely powerful beings who are not to be messed with." When Grule continued to glare at him, he said, "Raem told me about them."

Although they tried to hide it, Zinka could see that Ragna and Comar were surprised. Grule didn't hide it at all. Obviously angry, he snapped, "He _told _you? What do you mean, he _told_ you? He never speaks to us! In fact, he hardly communicates with us at all!"

Zinka tapped a finger upon one of his crystal ears. "Did you forget? I can speak with anyone touching a crystal. That includes Raem." He lowered his finger and pointed it at Grule. "Why, are you jealous? Because Raem chose to speak to me, rather than to you, the almighty Bio Bearer? Ha! How does it feel, to know my powers are better than yours?"

Infuriated, Grule drew his sword. "Better, huh? I'll show you whose powers are better!" Filling his dark blade with Bio, Grule charged at Zinka.

Then both of them fell as Ragna created a Quake. "You fools," he coldly whispered, "your bickering is wasting precious time. Those Crystal Bearers could begin following us at any moment. Let's move."

Because Ragna was a man of few words, Comar stepped forward and spoke more. "We can't be fighting each other," he told them. "Where would that get us? Ragna's right, we would lose time, but we could also lose each other." Grule gave a disgusted snarl at Comar's cheesy words, but the blonde Clavat ignored it. "The fact is that we all have equally powerful and useful abilities. Without Zinka, we could not communicate with each other or with Raem. Without Grule, we could not easily defend ourselves or kill our enemies. Without Ragna, we could not knock over the enemies and prevent them from dodging our attacks." Comar raised his chin and smirked. "And without me, we would be absolutely nothing! I'm obviously the best!"

Despite themselves, Zinka and Grule chuckled. Ragna, of course, did not smile, and his cold eyes were empty of emotion.

"In all seriousness," Comar continued, "we are all dependent upon each other. So, let us stick together and refrain from fighting." Nodding and smiling, Grule and Zinka shook hands and followed Comar and Ragna westward.

Yet Zinka still thought dark thoughts. _It is I who can speak to Raem, _he thought, _and it is Raem who made us what we are. It is he who will decide our fates. And while he will let me live, it is you three who shall perish!_


	27. Drawn Together

Although this chapter is short, I greatly enjoyed writing it. I felt like my previous chapters had too much action and too little dialogue, so I hope this chapter will help a bit with that.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Drawn Together

After Layle and the Carbuncle had finished their conversation, the Carbuncle left to begin digging a grave for Varion. As it went one way, Layle went the other.

Layle curiously searched the "town" of Mag Mell. Walking along the wooden paths from platform to platform, he saw that there were at least a dozen sleeping Carbuncles in the area. Four of the platforms, however, contained white spheres whose tops were missing. Layle assumed that these were where the four awake Carbuncles normally slept.

A few minutes after he had left the Carbuncle, Layle found Rulna, Luna, and Falkar. Rulna waved when he approached. "So, you decided to come back, huh?"

Layle nodded. "Those that should be together are drawn, those that should be apart, repelled." Realizing what he had just said, Layle added, "Sorry. That's something Amidatelion told me once."

The Selkie shook his head and smiled. "Don't apologize." Shrugging, he continued, "Amidatelion must have been pretty smart, saying things like that." Rulna glanced at Luna and Falkar, then back at Layle. "We never should have split up. As you said, those that should be together are drawn. We're supposed to be together, Layle. Let's keep it that way."

Layle chuckled at Rulna's words, then smiled and nodded. "Agreed."

Nodding, Rulna returned to the other two Selkies and began quietly speaking to them.

Moving on, Layle met Nakta and Yania next. "That man took Trookle's crystal!" Nakta informed him. "We have to get it back! We have to kill those men!"

Layle placed a hand upon his shoulder. "We will, Nakta. The Carbuncle knew where they were going." He half-turned his head toward the dark mountain in the west. "They're going there, to Mount Vellenge." He looked back at the two Clavats. "Tomorrow, we can finally have our revenge."

The Thunder Bearer glared at the mountain. "I hope you're right."

Leaving the Clavats to be alone together, Layle continued onward. After a couple more minutes of exploring Mag Mell, he found Belle. She was sitting on the edge of a floating platform with an open sphere. With her legs crossed and her hands resting on the ground behind her, she stared at Mount Vellenge in the distance.

"There you are," Layle said. When Belle glanced at him with a slightly surprised look, he added, "You disappeared as soon as we got here."

"I was just exploring." Turning back toward the west, she said, "So, that's where the miasma is coming from, huh?"

Layle sighed in disbelief. "Did you really leave just so that you could eavesdrop on my conversation?"

"Of course. It's my job to find out information without being seen." Laying back onto the soft grass, she looked up at Layle. "This must be really frustrating for you, huh?" When Layle gave her a blank look, she said, "You know, having to go and save the world from miasma. You came to Fum looking for some peace and quiet, right?"

Layle shrugged and sat next to her on the edge of the wooden platform. "That's what I thought at the time," he admitted, "but deep down I knew that would never work for me. I like adventure and danger too much. This is definitely far preferable to sitting and doing nothing."

Belle sat up and looked at him with hope in her eyes. "Does that mean, when this is all over, you'll come back to Alfitaria?" she inquired.

To her dismay, he shook his head. "While it is fun to fight Lilty soldiers," he admitted, bringing a smile to Belle's face, "I'd rather not have to deal with their hostility and prejudice. I can't go back, Belle. This is where I'm supposed to be." He turned his head to look at her. "All my life, I've been viewed as a horrible monster who was an accident of nature." The Clavat unconsciously scratched the crystal on his cheek. "But when I saw Amidatelion's spirit today, I was reminded of how all people feared her, for she was the only Yuke in the world at the time." He smiled as he remembered the time he had spent with Amidatelion. "That changed when I joined her cause. I was her only true friend, and she was mine. As fellow Crystal Bearers, we understood each other. That is why I must stay here. If I return, I would be the only Crystal Bearer in Alfitaria. Althea would look to me to set an image for all Crystal Bearers, and I'd rather not have to be tied down by that. I'd rather be here, where there are other Crystal Bearers who understand me and do not view me as an abomination."

At the end of his lengthy speech, Belle nodded with understanding, but he still saw sadness in her eyes. When she saw that he was worried for her, she told him, "I was just thinking about the twenty thousand gil Keiss would give me if I brought you back." She smiled and lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Looks like I'll be going back broke and empty-handed because of you."

Layle looked at her with a completely serious and straight face. "You don't have to go back, Belle. You could stay here and live with the Selkies of Rebena Te Ra. Plus, I'm sure you could make a living blackmailing the people of Fum."

This time it was Layle who smiled while Belle was serious. "This is a strange land to me, Layle," she said sadly. "I don't make friends as easily as you do. The members of the Selkie Guild are my people, not the citizens of Rebena Te Ra. I have friends in the Vale of Alfitaria, people I've spent my entire life with. I can't just abandon them. If I stay here, they'll worry for me, I'll worry for them, and I'll be alone and friendless in the process." Belle sighed with regret. "You have friends here, and I have friends there." She angrily swung a fist into the ground. "Why did these two lands have to split apart? Why couldn't they have just stayed together the way they were in the beginning?"

Layle did not like seeing Belle this way. "We can always visit each other," he tried to reassure her. "I could come and see you, Keiss, Althea, and Cid." He smiled at the thought. "It'd be just like old times, us five friends together again."

Belle shook her head. "But you won't visit, Layle. You're going to leave us, just like you did after you fought Jegran. You'll eventually grow tired of both Fum and Alfitaria, and you'll leave us all." Although she normally wouldn't say such things, her anger and sadness were causing her to be harsh.

But Layle did not argue with her. For he knew that she was right. There was no way he could sit still his entire life. Just as he had left Alfitaria to explore the lands of Fum, he would leave Fum to discover another new place. It was in his nature to leave behind all that he had once known and move on to the next adventure.

In the silence that followed, Layle put an arm around Belle's shoulders. Her anger slowly vanishing, she allowed him to hold her and placed her head upon his shoulder. Layle laid his own cheek against the top of her head, and they quietly stared at Mount Vellenge.

"I'm sorry," he softly whispered to her. This caused her sadness to finally show itself, and she cried into his shoulder. Layle wanted to say something, anything that would make her feel better. But he could think of nothing. And even though he wished to tell her that everything would be alright, he simply could not bring himself to lie to her.

So he was silent, and all he could do was hold her as she wept.


	28. Mount Vellenge

Yay! I am so glad I am back and can write some more! This was an amazingly fun chapter to write!

I cannot help but feel sad, though. For this story is coming to an end. I will most definitely miss this this story, and I will especially miss the characters. But, of course, all pieces of writing must come to an end.

Well, since the end is so near, it appears I won't be able to achieve my goal of getting 100 reviews. But hey, at least I got over 50! Thanks so much to all my reviewers, readers, and fans, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy this chapter and the rest of my story!

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Mount Vellenge

In the morning, the humans packed their things and left Mag Mell.

As they headed west toward the exit and the silhouette of Mount Vellenge, the Crystal Bearers and Belle found the four Carbuncles waiting for them. The Carbuncle who they had met in the Shadowlands bowed its head. "You have done well to make it this far," it told them. "I have no doubt that you will be able to rid the world of miasma."

But Yania did not feel this way. Shaking her head, she replied, "Those men have tremendous power. Already, they have killed Varion and Trookle. And now we are following them straight into their own territory. How could we possibly stand a chance against them?"

The Carbuncle laid a hand on her shoulder. "You underestimate your abilities, Yania, and you overestimate theirs. True, they are Crystal Bearers with powerful magic. But so are you. You possess higher numbers, as well as something those men shall never have: courage. As they flee to their mountain, you follow with the bravery which only heroes possess. If you continue to maintain that courage, Yania, nothing will be able to stop you from reaching your goals."

Yania smiled and nodded, but Belle was not completely content with the Carbuncle's answer. "You could come with us," the Selkie said. "Don't you want to help us destroy the miasma?"

Sadly shaking its head, the Carbuncle responded, "We cannot. Our duty lies here, within Mag Mell. We must remain here, to guard both Mag Mell and the Shadowlands. That is the Crystal's will, and we shall not fight those who it has blessed."

Belle was enraged. "_Blessed_? They've killed hundreds of innocent people, and you say that they are _blessed_?"

Nodding, the green creature said, "Indeed, they have used their powers for evil. Although they were blessed by the Crystal Principle, they chose to fight against it and slay other Crystal Bearers. Their minds have been twisted by their master, Raem. That is why you must go to Mount Vellenge and destroy Raem."

Belle opened her mouth to continue shouting at the Carbuncle, but Layle stopped her by laying a hand upon her shoulder. "Belle," he whispered, "they won't come with us. We must do this on our own."

The Selkie silently glared at him for several long seconds. Then she sighed and looked away from him. "Fine."

Not knowing what else to say, the Crystal Bearers and Belle began to exit Mag Mell. As Layle glanced back, he once again noticed how Mag Mell greatly resembled the Yuke Sky City. Now curious, Layle asked, "This place looks exactly like the Yuke Sky City, the place where the Yukes resided within the Edge of Oblivion. Why is that?"

The Carbuncle answered, "Both were created by the Crystal Principle. Formed from the same magic, they were both made to assist the followers of the Principle, and to provide them with a safe home."

Layle nodded at the answer, then extended a hand. "Thank you for all your help. We shall do our best to destroy the miasma."

Shaking his hand, the Carbuncle nodded and stared at him with hopeful eyes. "I know."

When Layle caught up to the others, Belle turned to him. Her anger appeared to have vanished. "Well," she paused and shakily took in a deep breath, "here we go."

Although she tried to hide it, Layle could hear the fear in her voice. "Belle," he whispered, "you don't have to do this. Leave this to us. Let the Crystal Bearers fight the Crystal Bearers."

She looked directly into his eyes and stubbornly shook her head. "Why?" she angrily replied. "Do you think I'm useless?"

Layle quickly shook his head, but she obviously didn't believe him. Turning away, she quickened her pace and tried to move away from him. "Belle!" he exclaimed. When she continued to walk away, he followed after her.

Then, when Layle laid a hand on her shoulder, she turned and snapped, "What?" Everyone stopped at that, and the others ahead of Layle and Belle turned to see what was going on. When they saw Layle and a furious Belle facing each other, they decided that the two needed to be alone and continued walking.

Belle continued to glare at Layle, and the two did nothing for a few long minutes. It was the Selkie who finally broke the silence. "You think that, just because you're a Crystal Bearer, you're invincible? Well you're not, Layle!" Layle began to speak, but she interrupted by trying to hit him in the face. He managed to dodge the attack, and he backed away as she advanced toward him. "Do you really think you can just go and leave me behind anytime you want? That you can risk your life while I wait and worry for you? I'm not some pet who you can command to stay!" Her eyes suddenly widened with a realization, and she quit moving toward him. "But that's not it, is it. You're trying to get rid of me, aren't you? That's why you keep telling me to stay behind! That's why you left Alfitaria without even saying goodbye!" Tears formed within her eyes, and she lowered her fists.

Layle cautiously stepped forward, and she tried to hit him again. He caught her hand, then caught the other as she swung it at him. For a few seconds, she struggled and tried to pull away from him. "Belle," he murmured. Then, when she continued to try to punch him, he shouted, "Belle!" She instantly quit fighting back. Rather than seeing fury in her eyes, he now only saw sadness. She suddenly seemed to lose all her strength and fell forward and buried her face within his shoulder and cried. Layle let go of her wrists, and she lightly placed them upon his chest. The blonde Clavat wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

Belle continued her attacks by hitting his chest with her right fist, but her loss of strength caused her attacks to be soft and painless. "If you want me to leave, why don't you just tell me?"

"Because I don't want you to leave, Belle," Layle softly whispered to her.

"Then why did you leave me?"

Layle gently pushed her far enough away so that their eyes met. "I told you, Belle," he murmured. "I left because I had to. You had nothing to do with it."

"If that's true, then why do you continue to keep pushing me away? Why do you tell me to leave?"

"To protect you, Belle. To prevent you from being harmed." He lowered his hands and held hers. "These men are too strong for you, Belle. They would kill you without a second thought. And when that time comes, I may not be able to save you." Layle sighed and looked down, then back up at Belle. "You must return to Mag Mell. The Carbuncles are far stronger than I, and they can protect you." He raised a hand and stroked her cheek. "Promise me you'll go back to Mag Mell. Please, Belle."

All anger vanished from Belle's face, and she sadly nodded. When Layle released her hand, she fell toward the ground. Layle quickly caught her, picked her up and cradled her within his arms, and walked back toward Mag Mell.

After explaining the situation to the Carbuncles, Layle handed Belle to the Carbuncle from the Shadowlands. Before they could take her away, Layle tightly gripped one of her hands. "I will return," he whispered. "I promise."

Then he let go of her hand, turned, and was gone.

* * *

When Layle caught up to the other five Crystal Bearers, they did not say anything. They could see that Layle did not want to be questioned, so they silently continued onward.

As they moved further west, the world slowly darkened. Black clouds surrounded Mount Vellenge, and all life and color vanished from the landscape. Soon they were walking upon dark, basalt rock rather than upon grass.

Finally, after a few painfully long hours, they reached the base of Mount Vellenge. The mountain was covered in a thick cloud of miasma, with miasma oozing out of its peak. "It's a good thing you convinced Belle to stay behind," Falkar told Layle, trying to comfort him. "Even I might not have been able to Cure her if she breathed in this much miasma."

Layle absently nodded. Although he knew Falkar's words to be true, he could not help but feel regret for forcing Belle to remain in Mag Mell. He could only think of her saddened eyes, and the sound of her crying as he left her. _I'm sorry, Belle._

Not long after they had begun climbing the mountain, they saw their enemies. The four Bearers with black crystals stood far above them upon a large boulder in the middle of the slope. No words were spoken. The two groups gave each other a single cold stare of hate, and then the battle began.

Comar grabbed several nearby rocks and threw them as Meteors at his enemies. All were destroyed as Rulna blocked some with Barriers, Nakta shattered some with Thunder, and Layle hit the rest aside with Gravity. The Meteors were followed by at least a dozen Bio spheres. All the Bearers except for Yania and Falkar were able to dodge the Bio spells, and Falkar instantly Cured himself and the poisoned Clavat. Just as Falkar finished Curing them, Ragna released a tremendous Quake. The distance between the two groups was so great that the Quake did not affect Layle and his friends, but the spell did caused a huge landslide to commence. "To me!" Rulna shouted. When the others were gathered behind him, he created a Barrier in front of them all. Whenever a rock managed to miss the Barrier and bounce toward them, Layle used a wall of Gravity to push it away. When the landslide had ended, the Crystal Bearers continued up the mountain.

Knowing they were outnumbered, Zinka raised his hands and shot miasma into the sky. Normally, it would take him several minutes to make a miasma stream, but there was already so much miasma in the air that it was formed in a couple seconds. Eight shades, three Death Knights, and six ghosts popped out of the miasma stream. The shades were transparent monsters who hovered above the ground and looked exactly like legless Grim Reapers. The Death Knights looked like large men covered in silver armor, with a black cape billowing behind them and a sword in each hand.

As soon as the monsters were on the ground, they charged at Layle and his friends. Luna cast Holy upon all the ghosts and shades, then drew her knives and ran at them. While the ghosts stayed back and cast Fire and Blizzard spells with their magical lanterns, the shades and Death Knights rushed forward. When a shade swung its scythe toward Luna, she jumped over the attack, stabbed two knives into the shade's head, and continued running as it collapsed to the ground. After slaying two more shades, she dodged a fireball and threw two daggers into the ghost who had created the fireball. She then charged forward and fought the ghosts that remained.

While Luna dealt with the ghosts, the others fought the remaining shades and Death Knights. The shades were so swift that they could dodge the attacks of Yania and Nakta, but Layle was able to grab them and toss them into the Death Knights. While the Death Knights were so slow that they could not dodge the spells and objects coming at them, they were extremely powerful. Whenever Yania cast Blizzard upon them, they easily broke through the ice which imprisoned them. When Nakta tried to hit them with Thunder, his lightning bolts simply bounced off their armor. Although the shades died when they collided into the Death Knights, the armored monsters weren't even slightly phased by the impact.

Knowing he had to remove the armor of the Death Knights, Layle grabbed one with Gravity and tried to yank its armor off. Instead of pulling the armor off, Layle was pulled straight toward the Death Knight. Ramming into the monster, Layle bounced off its armor and fell to the ground. Roaring in fury, the Death Knight raised a sword and swung it toward him. Placing his hands beneath him, Layle lifted his feet above him, pushed off the ground with his hands, and flipped backward onto his feet. As the sword buried itself in the ground, Layle grabbed two rocks and threw them as hard as he could into the Death Knight. The monster stumbled backward and fell onto its back. Lifting a single, massive boulder above his head, Layle brought it down with such force that it killed the Death Knight.

Before he could attack another Death Knight, a Meteor slammed into Layle and sent him tumbling down the mountain. Fortunately, Falkar managed to grab his hand as he flew past, pulled him to his feet, and Cured him. Nodding to the Selkie, Layle immediately rushed back into the battle.

While Luna fought the ghosts, Yania and Nakta fought the two Death Knights and Layle ran up the slope. Meanwhile, Rulna was busy blocking Comar's Meteors and Falkar was Curing anyone who Grule hit with a Bio spell. Because nearly all the monsters were almost gone, both Ragna and Zinka began creating miasma. After about ten seconds, they completed a gigantic miasma stream.

This time, only one monster emerged from the stream of miasma. Layle gasped as the humongous monster came out of the stream and landed on the rocks. It was very much like a sand sahagin, except that it had two arms with clawed hands, a large shark-like fin upon its back, and a long spiked tail. The entire thing was about as long as the Selkie Guild's train.

Once it had exited the miasma stream, the huge monster immediately dug through the rock and into the tough soil beneath it. Within moments, it had vanished into the ground. The Crystal Bearers warily searched the ground around them, ready to move aside if the monster attacked them. Yania and Nakta, however, were still being distracted by the two Death Knights.

The mountain shook as if it had been struck by an earthquake, and the creature shot out of the ground. It grabbed Yania and Nakta as it emerged, then it fell back toward the ground. Summoning all the strength he could, Rulna created a huge Barrier in front of the monster. The beast slammed into the wall of magic and dropped the two Clavats. Temporarily shocked by the collision, the monster tumbled to the ground and crushed the Death Knights beneath it.

After Falkar had Cured the Clavats, Nakta stood with his sword in his hand and charged at the beast. Filling his blade with Thunder, he stabbed it into the monster's stomach and sent his magic into it. Roaring in pain, the creature grabbed the Clavat and threw him down the mountainside. When Luna tried to attack it, it swung its tail and hit her aside. Fortunately, none of the spikes upon its tail touched her. Before any of the Crystal Bearers could attack it again, the monster vanished back into the earth.

The shark-like fin appeared near Rulna, and he prepared for the monster to attack him. Then the fin vanished. A few seconds later, the creature jumped out of the ground far away from Rulna. When it reached its peak, it fell straight toward Yania.

It was at this moment that Layle finally rejoined the battle. Jumping into the scene, he lifted both hands above him and grabbed the monster. A blue aura appeared around it, and it remained stuck in the air. Nakta immediately began shooting lightning bolts at it, and it squirmed and screamed as it was hit. Then it saw the same blue aura around Layle's hands, and it quit its squirming. Facing the blonde Clavat, the monster raised its tail far above it, then swung it down with amazing speed. The spikes upon its tail flew out and headed straight toward Layle. Layle let go of the monster with one hand and tried to create a wall of Gravity, but he was unable to hold the monster up with only a single hand. He was forced to stay where he was and hold the monster. Rulna tried to stop the spikes with a Barrier, but the projectiles were so powerful that they broke through the wall and continued onward. One of the spear-sized spikes slammed into Layle's shoulder and sent him tumbling down the slope. He was unable to continue holding the monster, so it fell and disappeared into the ground.

Falkar was instantly by Layle's side. The huge spike was impaled within his chest, and it appeared to have broken his entire right ribcage. Layle gasped for air, but his broken lungs and shattered esophagus were unable to transfer the oxygen to his body. Falkar tried to ignore the blood and said, "Layle, we have to remove the spike." The Selkie tried to pull the gigantic spike out of the Clavat's body, but he was unable to do so. Although he was experiencing immense pain and was losing gallons of blood, Layle managed to grab the spike with Gravity and yank it out of his chest. He would have unleashed a cry of extreme pain if he could breathe.

With the bloody spike now laying on the ground, Falkar placed his hands upon Layle's chest and Cured him. The wound was so great that it took many seconds to heal, and Falkar was exhausted once the spell had ended. Layle, however, felt magnificent, and he jumped to his feet and rushed back into the battle.

While Falkar was Curing Layle, the large monster had jumped out of the ground once more. It had attempted to grab Luna, but she was far too quick for it. This time, when it fell toward the earth, Rulna created a large Barrier directly over the ground. The beast smashed into the Barrier and tried in vain to dig through it.

With the creature out in the open, the Crystal Bearers took this chance to attack. Nakta shot lightning bolts into the monster's face, Yania froze its arms and tail to the Barrier, and Luna darted in and out and stabbed her daggers into its tough skin. When it broke through Yania's Blizzard spells, Layle held it down with Gravity.

However, even this could not keep the monster at bay. Resisting Layle's spell, the monster pulled itself forward in an attempt to get off the Barrier and into the soil. Luna stopped it by casting a Holy spell directly in front of it, which blinded the monster and caused it to lose all sense of direction.

Before it could regain its vision, the Bearers unleashed all their strength and power upon it. Luna continued to use her knives, Nakta filled his sword with Thunder and slashed at it, and Layle threw nearby rocks upon it. Although the monster continued to fight them, it had grown so weak and slow that the humans could easily dodge its attacks. After a couple of minutes, it was so exhausted that it could do nothing but lay there and cry and whimper as it was slowly killed. Finally, Nakta jumped on top of the motionless beast, stabbed his sword into the top of its head, and ended its suffering.

The tired Crystal Bearers collapsed to the ground. Falkar Cured them all, but even then they were exhausted.

Unfortunately, they had little time to rest. Above them, they saw that the four Bearers with black crystals had moved further up the mountain. Now they disappeared into an opening which led into the inside of the mountain.

Determined to catch their prey, the Crystal Bearers wearily stood and ran after them.

* * *

The Crystal Bearers entered the hole in the mountain and found themselves in a dark tunnel of basalt rock. Once their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, they continued further into Mount Vellenge.

After a couple minutes of carefully moving forward, the humans found themselves in a huge cavern. A rock path protruded from their tunnel, twisted across the cavern, and ended at another tunnel. There was nothing else in the room. Beneath them was only darkness.

Although the path was about five yards wide, the abyss beneath them caused them to continue in single-file. When they were near the center of the cavern, a bat came out of nowhere and began attacking them. At first, the Crystal Bearers simply ignored it. Then, when it bit Yania's neck, Nakta angrily drew his sword and sliced it in half. As it died, the bat let out a minute screech of pain.

That cry was suddenly repeated by an unseen source. This time, it was so loud that the Crystal Bearers had to cover their ears. Rulna also drew his sword, and the Crystal Bearers searched the darkness around them. They could not see what had made the noise.

Suddenly, Layle heard a loud _whoosh _behind him. He turned and saw a huge, winged creature heading straight for him. It was too close for him to move, though. The monster rammed into Layle and sent them tumbling over the edge of the path.

As Layle rolled through the air, he managed to grab onto a ledge with Gravity and pull himself toward it. Hearing a scream above him, he looked up and saw Yania falling toward the dark abyss. As he pulled himself to the ledge with one hand, he grabbed Yania with the other and pulled them both to safety.

The monster was now coming in for another attack. Just as they heard the _whoosh _sound, Luna cried out and created a huge Holy spell above her. The white explosion illuminated the whole room, allowing the Bearers to see that their enemy was a humongous bat.

When Luna cast Holy, the bat was blinded by the spell. Unleashing a terrifying scream of agony, the bat flew uncontrollably around the cavern. After ramming into a few walls, it finally crashed into the rock path. Nakta, Luna, and Rulna immediately began attacking it with their blades. When the bat seemed to regain its vision and looked up at them, Luna cast another Holy spell in front of its eyes.

This time, however, the bat ignored the light. Using its amazing sense of hearing, it targeted Nakta and Rulna and charged toward them. When both were knocked off of the path, Layle grabbed both with his powers and heaved them back onto the path. They began attacking it once more. Enraged and in pain, the bat turned and stabbed a claw on its wing into Nakta's stomach. Nakta grasped the wound and groaned in pain, but he was not defeated. Before the bat could fly away from them, Nakta swung his sword and tore one of its wings open. The bat screamed and stumbled to the ground. With a loud, wordless war cry, Nakta filled his blade with Thunder and stabbed it into the bat's side. The monster convulsed and screeched as its entire body was filled with electricity. Fortunately, it appeared to be particularly weak to Thunder. Within a few moments, it gave a final defiant roar, then limply collapsed to the ground.

After such an easy battle, the Crystal Bearers once again felt confident. Even though their bodies were still tired, their adrenaline was helping them feel strong. After Falkar had Cured them, they exited the cavern.

They continued through the second tunnel for about a minute, then saw light ahead of them. When they reached the exit of the tunnel, they saw that they had entered another room. This one, however, had a floor of hard, brown dirt and walls of brown sandstone. The light they had seen was coming from a large hole in the ceiling above them. Although they did not know it, they were within the center of Mount Vellenge, and the hole above them was the peak.

On the opposite side of the room were the four Crystal Bearers with black crystals. With nowhere left to run, they all raised their hands above them and created a miasma stream.

What came out of the miasma stream this time were three humongous scorpions, which were each as large as a Zu. Each scorpion was different, however; one was a red Scorpion, one was a black Electric Scorpion, and one was a gray Rock Scorpion.

At the command of their masters, the three scorpions charged. Luna and Rulna headed toward the Rock Scorpion and Nakta and Yania charged at the Scorpion. This left Layle and Falkar to deal with the Electric Scorpion. "Get back," Layle ordered Falkar. Then he grabbed two boulders and brought them toward the Electric Scorpion from both sides. Seeing the oncoming rocks, the monster extended its two pincers and shot lightning bolts out of them and into the rocks. As the rocks shattered, Layle threw three more at his enemy. The Electric Scorpion once again used Thunder with its pincers to break two rocks, then used its tail to break the other one. Before Layle could throw more rocks at it, the Electric Scorpion rushed forward on its eight legs and clawed at Layle. Layle jumped out of the way of the pincer, but he was unable to dodge the lightning bolt which shot out of it. He was sent flying backwards, slammed into a rock wall, and fell toward the ground. Even as he was falling, the Electric Scorpion was quickly moving straight toward him.

Meanwhile, Luna and Rulna dealt with the Rock Scorpion. Luna had tried to blind it with Holy, but this monster did not seem to be affected by it at all. Charging straight through the explosion of white light, it swung a claw at Luna and another claw at Rulna. Luna was quick enough to dodge it, but Rulna was too slow to create a Barrier. The male Selkie gasped as the tip of the pincer slipped into his stomach. "Rulna!" Luna screamed. When she began sprinting toward Rulna, the Rock Scorpion hit her aside with its tail.

Rulna collapsed to the ground. Not only was he bleeding and wounded; the Rock Scorpion's claws were tinged with venom. Rulna began coughing out blood as the poison spread through his body.

Fortunately, Falkar had heard Luna's scream. Running over to his fellow Selkies, he Cured both Rulna and Luna. Instantly rejuvenated, the two Selkies jumped to their feet and ran at the Rock Scorpion. This time, when the monster tried to inject them with poison, Rulna created two Barriers to protect them. Then Luna reached the Rock Scorpion and, with a ferocious scream, stabbed two knives into one of the four legs on its right side. She attacked it with such force that the leg was severed and fell to the ground. The Rock Scorpion shrieked in pain and surprise. It turned to see who was attacking it, then the stinger upon its tail lunged at Luna. She swiftly jumped out of the way, and the stinger impaled itself into the ground. As the Rock Scorpion removed its tail from the ground, Rulna swung his sword and sliced off a leg on its left side. The monster roared in anger, then screamed in agony as Luna cut off another leg on the right side. With only two hind-legs on its right side, the Rock Scorpion was unable to support itself and collapsed to the ground. As Rulna continued to remove its legs, Luna jumped onto its back and stabbed her knives into the top of its head. The Rock Scorpion desperately shook its body and tried to hit Luna with its pincers. But her agility allowed her to dodge the attacks, and her balance kept her on top of the monster. Then, in a great effort to remove Luna, the Rock Scorpion stabbed its stinger toward her. Luna rolled out of the way, and the stinger went straight into the Rock Scorpion's head. With a terrible cry of pain, the monster convulsed for a few seconds, then died.

Luna jumped off of the Rock Scorpion's body, then saw Rulna. Their eyes met, and they did nothing for a moment. Then they both dropped their weapons and rushed toward each other. They came together with amazing speed and, as soon as they were together, they kissed and wrapped their arms around each other. After many kisses, Luna took her lips from his and said, "When that thing stabbed you, I thought…"

Rulna raised his hands and stroked her hair. "It's alright," he murmured. "Everything's alright."

Luna smiled and kissed him once more. "I love you," she whispered.

"And I love you." Then, although they wanted to stay right where they were, they separated and headed back into the battle.

Although the Scorpion had neither Thunder nor venom within its claws, Nakta and Yania were still having trouble slaying it. The creature was immune to both Thunder and Blizzard, so Yania could do nothing as Nakta attacked it with his sword. He was growing weary, though, so it was a very good thing when Luna, Rulna, and Falkar joined them. With Nakta, Rulna, and Luna all wielding blades, it was not long before they had defeated the Scorpion. When they were sure it was dead, they quickly left to help Layle.

During all this time, Layle was having some trouble fighting the Electric Scorpion alone. After it had thrown him into the rock wall, it grabbed him with a pincer and pinned him against the wall. It would have crushed his head if he had not grabbed the two pincers on each side of his head, infused his hands with Gravity, and pulled as hard as he could. However, the Electric Scorpion was so strong that he could only keep the claws from killing him; he was unable to remove himself from the monster's grasp. The two remained at this stalemate for a long minute, then the Electric Scorpion finally gave up and let go of him. As he ran to get in range of two rocks, the monster raised its tail and shot lightning bolts out of its stinger. Fortunately, every Thunder attack missed. Now that he was close enough to the rocks, Layle grabbed them and threw them into the Scorpion's face. The monster roared, shook its head to recover, then ran at him. Layle grabbed a huge boulder, lifted it above his head, and prepared to bring it down upon the beast. But it acted more quickly and shattered the boulder with a Thunder spell. Then it prepared to shoot Thunder out of its two pincers and its stinger.

This was when the others joined the battle. A Barrier appeared in front of Layle and absorbed the Thunder attacks headed toward him. Then Luna, Nakta, and Rulna all pounced upon the Electric Scorpion and attacked it. When the monster turned to attack them, Layle grabbed another large rock and hit the beast with it. This temporarily stunned the creature, and the humans took this chance to swiftly slay it.

As soon as the Electric Scorpion was killed, the Crystal Bearers turned and faced their true enemies. During this entire battle, the four evil men had been feeding miasma into yet another miasma stream. This one was different, though; while the other streams had been high in the sky, this one was only a foot above the ground.

Then, just as Layle and his five friends were charging forward, the four men completed their task. Instead of creating a large sphere of miasma, they created a wide, thin, circular sheet of miasma. The four evilly smiled at the six Crystal Bearers, then they jumped into the stream.

The Bearers gasped when their enemies disappeared. Nakta, however, was too angry to be frightened. "Come on!" he called. Then he ran forward.

"Nakta, wait!" Yania yelled. When he did not slow, she ran after him. Figuring that jumping in the stream would lead them to their enemies, the other four followed after them. First Nakta jumped in, then Yania, then the Selkies soon after.

With a mischievous smile, Layle jumped forward, shouted, "Wahoo!" and vanished into the stream.


	29. The Miasma Crystal

This is probably my favorite chapter in the entire story. I hope you readers like it as much as I loved writing it!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Miasma Crystal

For several seconds, Layle fell through a tunnel of purple light. Then he emerged from this strange world and landed upon a path of green rock. When he stood from his kneeling position, he recognized that he was within the Selepation Cave.

Then he saw movement in the corner of his eye and turned toward it. A Meteor was speeding toward him, and it was moving so quickly that he was unable to dodge it. The Meteor crashed into him and caused him to roll across the rock path. He began to tumble off the path, but he managed to grab onto the edge of the path and pull himself back up.

When he was back on the path, he heard someone snarl. Looking up, he saw another Meteor coming at him and managed to jump out of the way. This time, when he glanced upward, he saw Comar standing on the top of a green pillar of rock. "You just won't die, will you?" his blonde enemy spat.

Layle chuckled. "Of course not; I'm a Crystal Bearer."

Comar grimaced. "That won't keep you alive for much longer." He pointed to the black crystal within his shoulders. "This will keep me alive, though. You should have joined us when you had the chance, Layle."

Layle glared at Comar. "How do you know my name?"

The Bearer with the power of Meteor laughed. "Your Selkie friend told us about you. What was her name again? Belle? Don't worry. She didn't betray you and tell us right away. We had to torture her first." In reality, Comar and his friends truly had tortured Belle, but she had not given away any information about Layle. It was Raem who had told Comar about Layle. But, since Layle did not know that, Comar continued, "It took a long time before she finally told us what we wanted to know." Comar evilly grinned. "Her screams were the most delightful thing I've ever heard."

Layle roared with anger and threw two rocks at Comar. Comar jumped back onto another rock path above him, then threw two Meteors down at Layle. Avoiding the Meteors, Layle followed Comar by jumping from pillar to pillar. Then, when he reached the rock path, he saw that Comar was running uphill along the path. Comar lifted a humongous boulder, then threw it down at Layle. Layle just barely rolled out of the way. When the boulder hit the path, however, it caused the rock beneath him to break off. He fell for a few seconds, then grabbed the edge of a pillar with Gravity and pulled himself to it.

When Comar saw Layle do this, he growled with anger. He had thought Layle just possessed a weaker version of Meteor. Now he could see that Layle could do more than just throw inanimate objects. With both fear and anger now powering him, he grabbed two massive rocks and threw them toward Layle. Using Gravity to help him, Layle jumped far away from the pillar and landed upon another one. While one of Comar's Meteors smashed into the pillar of rock, the other went onward and hit the wall of the Selepation Cave. The entire cave shook from the impact, and dozens of stalactites broke off the ceiling and fell.

As they fell, both Layle and Comar grabbed them and chucked them at each other. Because the Meteors were so much quicker than the rocks Layle threw, he was hit by a Meteor while Comar was able to jump to safety. Fortunately, Layle was able to use his magic to pull himself onto a path of rock. Because he was now above Comar, Comar began jumping from pillar to pillar in order to get above Layle. Determined to have the higher ground, Layle ran up the path while throwing rocks at Comar. This slowed Comar, for he was forced to either dodge the rocks or throw Meteors into them. Still, it was not long before he had reached a path above Layle.

When Comar reached this path, Layle grabbed onto the edge of the path and pulled himself upward. Flipping upward onto the path, he immediately ran at Comar. Comar lifted a large boulder above him, but Layle grabbed another rock of the same size. Both Bearers threw their rocks at each other, causing them to collide and shatter. Before Comar could grab another Meteor, Layle lunged forward and punched Comar in the face.

Comar stumbled backward in surprise. Layle swung his fist forward once more, but Comar was able to dodge this one and tried to punch Layle back. Jumping out of the way, Layle grabbed a small rock behind Comar and threw it into him. When the rock hit him in the back, Comar cried out and fell forward. Layle ended his fall by grabbing him and kneeing him in the face.

His face now bloody and bruised, Comar collapsed to the ground. With eyes full of fear, he held up an arm above him to defend himself. "Please!" he begged. "Please don't kill me!"

Layle gave a disgusted snarl at the sight of Comar. "Do you really think I'm going to spare your life? After what you did to Belle?" He raised a fist and stepped toward Comar. "I wouldn't miss killing you for the world!"

When Layle lunged at him, Comar lifted his feet above him. He kicked Layle backwards, then grabbed a rock and threw it at Layle. The rock with a red aura around it crashed into Layle and sent him flying over the edge of the path. Comar stood and laughed at the death of his rival.

But he had forgotten about Layle's powers. Only a couple seconds after the Meteor had hit him, Layle used his magic to pull himself back toward the rock path. Then he grabbed onto it with his hands, flipped himself upward, and used his momentum to kick Comar with both feet. Layle was moving so quickly that, when his feet slammed into Comar's chest, Comar was sent tumbling off the opposite edge of the path. He screamed as he fell, then his scream suddenly ended. When Layle ran forward, he saw that Comar's dead body had landed on a rock path far below.

A satisfied Layle smiled at the sight of his dead enemy. Then another thin, circular miasma stream appeared beneath Comar, and his body vanished into it. With no sense of caution, Layle jumped off the cliff. "Wahoo!" he yelled. Then he disappeared into the portal.

* * *

After traveling through the tunnel of purple light for a few seconds, Nakta and Yania emerged into a bright, blazing hot world. After their eyes had adjusted to the intense light, they realized that they were within the Lynari Desert.

Then they saw Grule far in front of them, his back turned toward them. Roaring with rage, Nakta drew his sword and charged forward. The Bio Bearer heard him, turned, and began firing Bio spheres at him. Nakta easily dodged the spells and quickly closed the distance between the two of them. Grule drew his sword just in time to block Nakta's sword, then the two began yet another duel of swordplay. As they fought, Yania ran toward them. She would have used Blizzard on Grule earlier, but she was out of range at the time. Now, even though she could use Blizzard, Grule and Nakta were so close together that she did not dare use her powers.

Although Nakta was normally weaker than the powerful, muscular Grule, his rage was currently filling him with strength. He swung his sword as hard as he could at Grule, and for every attack Grule just barely dodged it or blocked it. The Bio Bearer could do nothing but defend himself against Nakta's barrage of powerful attacks.

Then, after jumping out of the way of Nakta's sword, Grule shot a Bio ball at him. Nakta dodged it, then he raised his own hand and released a Thunder spell. The lightning bolt slammed into Grule and sent him flying backward. When he tried to stand back up, Yania froze him in place while Nakta ran at him.

Yelling in fury, Grule broke through Yania's spell and charged toward her. She screamed when she saw the terrible anger within his eyes. Grule raised his hand as he ran forward, and he shot a Bio ball into Yania. She stumbled backward from the blow, then she fell to the ground and began convulsing as the poison spread through her.

A terrible cry of agony and complete hatred sounded to the side of Grule. When he turned to look, Nakta's sword filled his vision. With amazing speed and power, Nakta swung his sword downward and sliced off Grule's outstretched hand. Grule cried out in pain and suffering. Nakta then dropped his sword, summoned all the power within him, and thrust both his hands forward. A massive bolt of lightning launched out of his hands and into Grule. The Bio Bearer flew across the desert, smashed into a large boulder, and heavily fell to the ground. He did not move after that.

Nakta would have gone to completely destroy the body of the enemy he hated so much, but then he heard Yania's crying. Turning, he ran the fastest he had ever run before and came to her side. Her entire body was trembling, and she could do nothing but cry as extreme pain came from within her.

Shaking with fear, Nakta placed his trembling hands upon Yania's cheeks. Despite the hot sand beneath them and the scorching sun above them, her skin was as cold as ice. "Yania," he whispered. Her eyes weakly opened at the touch of his fingers and the sound of his voice. "Yania, stay with me."

The female Clavat tried to ignore the pain inside her and gripped Nakta's hands within her own. "Did you kill him?" Nakta nodded. She tried to smile, but her terrible pain did not allow her to. Tears streamed down her face as she murmured, "I'm sorry, Nakta. I'm so sorry."

Nakta was crying now as well. "Please," he sobbed. "Please, Yania, you can't die."

Yania tried to forget the fact that she was dying and sought to comfort Nakta. "Everything's going to be alright, Nakta." Then she let go of his hands, placed her hands behind his neck, pulled him to her, and kissed him. They shared a single, passionate kiss, then their lips parted and Yania whispered, "I love you, Nakta. I always have. Ever since the first day we met, when you and Olgra found me, I have loved you." Her cold hands stroked his cheeks and hair. "We'll be together again, Nakta, all of us. Someday, you, Trookle, Olgra, and I will all be together once more." Nakta's sobbing only intensified, and she lowered her hands and gripped his tightly in her own. "But you have to live life for us, Nakta. Live life to the fullest, and never forget us." Her speech was ended as a terrible wave of pain coursed through her body, and all she could do was cry.

Nakta held her hands as tightly as he could. "I won't forget you," he promised. Then he tried to comfort her as best he could, and he told her how much he loved her and what a wonderful person she was. She did not reply; she could only cry as she suffered. But she heard every word, and at one point she weakly tried to bring him closer. Nakta responded by leaning in and kissing her, and both of them wrapped their arms around each other. They shared several tear-filled kisses for a few short moments. As they did, Yania took his hands once more and weakly held them. Then her hands released their grasp, and her body became limp. After that, Nakta held her close to him and silently cried into her shoulder.

During all this, Grule had been forming a miasma stream. After slamming into the boulder, he had purposefully remained motionless. Then, when Nakta was distracted by Yania, he used his remaining hand to create miasma. Now the thin, circular stream was finally finished, and he weakly stood and walked into the portal.

As Nakta held Yania and cried, a portal appeared beneath them, and they too vanished from the Lynari Desert.

* * *

Not long after they had jumped into the portal, Luna, Falkar, and Rulna emerged from it. The three Selkies found themselves standing on a path of black basalt rock, and beneath them were pools of lava. After searching their surroundings, they concluded that they must be in Mount Kilanda.

Then the entire volcano shook, and all three of them fell to the ground. When they glanced upward, they saw that Ragna had just created a Quake. He looked down at them through his long, black hair with a cold stare of hatred. Because the Quake had done no damage to them, he drew his sword and charged forward.

Rulna and Luna immediately unsheathed their own weapons and ran at their enemy. When they were nearly upon each other, a brown aura appeared around one of Ragna's hands, and he thrust it into the ground. As soon as he had created another powerful Quake, Ragna jumped forward and stabbed his sword at Rulna. The Quake had caused Rulna to stumble and fall to the ground, so he was extremely vulnerable. Luna, however, had much better balance and was still standing. Jumping in front of Rulna, she hit Ragna's sword aside and kicked him in the chest. Ragna stumbled backward, but he did not fall, which allowed him to raise his sword and block Luna's next attack. Although Luna was extremely agile and had two weapons, Ragna was just as quick and had a much larger weapon. The two were a completely even match, and neither could get past the other's defenses.

But Luna was not alone. Once, when Ragna swung his sword at Luna, Rulna created a Barrier in front of her. Ragna's sword harmlessly bounced off the Barrier, then it vanished and Luna jumped at him. She managed to stab him in the arm with one knife, then he let out a ferocious roar and swung his sword at her. Luna quickly ducked under it, then jumped away from his next attack.

As Luna and Ragna slowly moved further up the mountain, Falkar and Rulna took another path and headed uphill as well. While the two occasionally helped Luna by creating Barriers and Curing her, they usually could only watch as Luna and Ragna fought.

Then, after a minute of running uphill, they discovered a bridge connecting the two paths. Rulna ran across the bridge then down the other path while Falkar carefully sidled his way across the narrow bridge.

Despite Rulna's fast sprinting, he still was not quick enough. As he was coming close, Luna thrust her blades at Ragna. The Bearer with the power of Quake dodged her attack and kicked her in the side. Crying out, she fell off the path and rolled down the slope toward the lava.

"Luna!" Rulna cried. Ragna turned around just in time to see Rulna stab his sword into Ragna's stomach. Gasping, Ragna fell to his knees and began coughing out blood. Rulna quickly withdrew his blade and kicked him off the path. Then he ran down the opposite slope toward Luna. Fortunately, she had managed to slow her descent enough that only her foot fell into the lava. She screamed in agony, then she took in a deep breath and pulled herself away from the pit of lava.

Rulna reached Luna within a few moments. He then picked her up, cradled her within his arms, and headed back up the slope. Right when he got back up onto the path, Falkar caught up to them and Cured Luna. Luna thanked him once her foot had returned, and carefully began walking on it again.

Then they heard a groan beneath them. Looking down, they saw that Ragna had come to a halt about five feet from the lava. He was still alive, and the immense heat of the lava was causing him to groan with pain. With anger powering them, the three Selkies ran down the slope toward their enemy.

When they were only a few yards away from Ragna, he quit breathing. Another stream of miasma immediately appeared beneath him, and he vanished into it. Hoping that this would lead them back to Mount Vellenge, the three Selkies jumped in after him.

* * *

Layle had not been falling through the purple tunnel for very long when he shot out of it. He did a flip as he emerged from the portal, then landed on his feet right in front of it. Almost as soon as he and Comar's body had both exited it, the portal vanished.

He gasped when he saw where the portal had taken him. It almost looked as if he was in space; there was no ground beneath him, and he saw small white dots all around him. Then he realized that these dots were not stars, but were strange pieces of white light which were slowly spinning around him. Plus, instead of there being black nothingness between the white dots, he saw dark blue. It was the dark shade of blue which the sky takes soon after sunset, when the first stars are just appearing. Beneath Layle, he could see his reflection. He then realized that he was standing on a huge, reflective platform.

As he searched this strange world, he saw something about a hundred yards away from him. It was a humongous, black crystal. He had not seen it before because it blended into the blue behind it. But he now saw that it was even darker, as if no light could touch it.

At the base of this huge, spire-like crystal was Zinka.

Zinka turned around when he heard the sounds of Comar's and Layle's crystals. When he saw Layle, he gasped. "What are you doing here?" Then he saw the body next to Layle's feet and cursed. "How is this possible? You weren't supposed to be able to jump into the portal with him!"

Layle was confused, and he certainly did not enjoy that feeling. "What are you talking about?"

Zinka scowled. "That portal was only supposed to appear and take you here when you were dead!"

Layle glanced down at Comar's body, then back up at Zinka. "What about him?"

"It was supposed to appear when he died, too." Zinka chuckled. "You see, Raem gave me that power. Those three fools, who dare call themselves my friends, thought that that portal in Mount Vellenge would bring them here. I altered it, though, so that I was the only one brought here, to the Nest of Memories. And anyone else who jumped through that portal would be transported to another location. Then, when they were to die, another portal would return them to me."

Although Layle did not know Zinka at all, he was still surprised to hear this. "You betrayed them?"

Zinka laughed. "Of course I did. It was what Raem wanted. You see," he explained, "it was I who found Raem. Long ago, miasma was created by a being known as the Meteor Parasite, who had come into this world when a meteor crashed into Mount Vellenge. Raem was also born out of that collision. He was a being who relied upon the memories of humans to survive. Memories were what fed him and kept him alive. For the most part, though, he consumed memories of pain, which the miasma provided him with as it poisoned and killed hundreds of people.

"But then he was defeated. Several humans came to this place and fought him. After their battle, Raem disappeared. However, he was not completely destroyed. He reappeared somewhere else in the Nest of Memories, where he remained in an eternal sleep."

Zinka smiled. "Then a miracle occurred. The memories which Raem had consumed throughout his life joined together and formed a crystal within Raem's body. I heard his crystal, and I came to Mount Vellenge and spoke to him. By doing so, I awoke him from his slumber, and he brought me here." Zinka looked back at the black crystal which towered above him. "Ever since then, we have been working together to create this."

Layle still had questions, though. "What is it that you've created, exactly?"

Turning back toward the blonde Clavat, Zinka answered, "It is the Miasma Crystal. When I brought the crystals of several Crystal Bearers to Raem, he touched them. Their color turned from blue to black, and they came together to form this." Zinka faced the large Miasma Crystal once more. "This magnificent crystal creates miasma. And whenever another crystal is added onto it, it produces even more miasma." The man with ears of crystal turned around and glared at Layle. "That is why we have been killing Crystal Bearers, and that is why we stole the Selkie Crystal! It would have been ours if not for you!" With an angry yell, he raised his hand and shot miasma into the air. Because the Miasma Crystal was producing so much miasma, a miasma stream was instantly formed. Once it had appeared, dozens of large, black Minions popped out of it. These strange creatures possessed completely black bodies with four legs and a tail. But where a head should have been was a strange red rune. The rune had the shape of a circle with eight red lines within it. Each line started at one edge of the circle, crossed through the center, and ended on the opposite side of the circle.

Zinka pointed at Layle and shouted, "Go, Minions of Raem! Destroy he who would dare defy your master!"

The Minions silently charged at Layle. Several jumped at him with their claws extended, so he jumped away, grabbed them with Gravity, and threw them into each other. He continued to dodge their attacks and toss them into each other, but they were so powerful that it took a long time to kill them. But once he killed one, two more would appear as Zinka continued to make miasma streams. Layle was forced to hurriedly walk backward so that the Minions could not get behind him.

As the Minions pushed Layle away from the Miasma Crystal, Zinka moved forward. The man with ears of black crystal drew a dagger and cut out the crystal within Comar's shoulders. He then walked back toward the Miasma Crystal and placed Comar's crystal upon it. The Crystal Bearer's crystal immediately melded into the huge Miasma Crystal.

Then Zinka heard one more crystal enter the Nest of Memories. Spinning around, he growled with fury when he saw the three Selkies standing above Ragna's body. He immediately created two more miasma streams, and two scores of Minions popped out and ran at the Selkies. Once they had been forced backward as well, Zinka removed the crystal in Ragna's neck and tossed it onto the Miasma Crystal.

While Zinka was doing this, Layle joined the three Selkies. When the hordes of Minions surrounded them, they formed a triangle around Falkar. While Luna and Rulna fought the Minions with their knives and sword, and while Layle used Gravity to push the monsters away and throw them at each other, Falkar remained in the center of the triangle and Cured his injured allies.

About a minute later, Zinka heard the sounds of two more crystals. He smiled at the sight of Yania's dead body, then grimaced when he saw Nakta holding her. Roaring with fury, he created two more miasma streams and commanded the Minions to attack Nakta. Although they tried their hardest to push Nakta back, he would not leave Yania. With rage powering him, Nakta kept the Minions at bay by shooting lightning bolts out of one hand and swinging a Thunder-filled sword with the other. His power and skill allowed him to slay dozens of Minions and keep them from moving him away from Yania's body.

Then, as Zinka was just summoning more Minions, he heard another crystal appear within the Nest of Memories. He turned and saw Grule stumbling toward him. The Bio Bearer's skin was pale from blood loss. As he walked toward Zinka, he left a blood trail as blood dripped out of the stub where his hand had once been.

Grule walked up to Zinka, then fell to his knees. "Zinka," he whimpered. "Zinka, please help me," he said while holding his wound to try and stop the blood from pouring out. When Zinka did nothing, Grule reached out his hand and gripped Zinka's shirt.

With a disgusted snarl, Zinka pushed Grule's hand off of him, then stabbed his dagger into Grule's heart. A terrible look of shock and pain came into Grule's eyes, and he looked down at the hilt sticking out of his chest. Then he looked back up at Zinka. His face was filled with confusion, pain, and fear. As he gasped for air, he reached his hand forward and gripped Zinka's arm.

In a single quick, fluid motion, Zinka withdrew the knife from Grule's chest, sliced off the hand which held his arm, and slit Grule's throat. The Bio Bearer gurgled as blood dripped out of his neck, then he collapsed onto the ground. With a terrible grin upon his face, Zinka cut out the spiral-shaped crystal upon Grule's arm, withdrew Trookle's crystal from Grule's cloak, and placed them both upon the Miasma Crystal.

Then he closed his eyes and used his Bearer powers. _"Raem," _he telepathically said, _"come, and we shall defeat these Crystal Bearers once and for all! Come, and we shall destroy them, take their crystals, and once again cover this world in miasma!"_

A tremendous roar sounded within the Nest of Memories. All seven Crystal Bearers, including Zinka, as well as the Minions turned at the sound. Something suddenly burst through the flat, reflective floor which the humans and monsters stood upon. Huge pieces of it broke off and went flying through the air, and they crushed dozens of Minions as they landed. Then these pieces faded into nothingness, and the floor which had been broken mended itself.

Then the giant creature which had broken through the floor landed upon it. This massive monster was very much like a yellow, feathered dragon, except that it was five times as big as a normal dragon. Also, instead of having four legs and two wings, it possessed no legs, two wings, and two arms which looked very much like two large claws. While its head, neck, wings, and arms were all yellow, it possessed a large, round, red body. At the ends of its massive wings were two huge, sharp claws.

This mighty creature extended its wings, raised its head, and unleashed a tremendous roar which caused the entire world to shake.

Raem had come.


	30. The Final Battle

Chapter Thirty: The Final Battle

As soon as Raem's terrifying roar ended, the battle began.

Lowering his head, Raem opened his mouth and shot out a large, white laser. Rulna created a powerful Barrier to stop it, but the laser easily broke through it. When this happened, Layle grabbed the three Selkies next to him, threw them over the heads of the Minions surrounding him, then jumped after them. Just as he jumped away, the laser hit the spot where they had been standing and created a massive explosion. Layle and his friends were knocked over from the blast. When they stood back up, they saw that the Minions that had previously been attacking them had been turned to ashes.

With no Minions left to distract them, Layle and the Selkies charged at Raem. Raem unleashed another white laser, but the Crystal Bearers were quick enough to just barely move out of the way of the explosion. Then, with a roar of fury, Raem lifted his massive wings and flapped them toward his enemies. That single flap created a huge gust of wind which hit the four humans and sent them tumbling backward. While Falkar and Rulna landed on their backs, Luna and Layle managed to roll back onto their feet and charge forward. In order to avoid being hit by another gust of wind, they circled around Raem to attack him from the sides.

But Raem still had many tricks up his sleeves. The two huge claws on the ends of his wings suddenly opened up like large mouths. Then two huge fireballs shot out of them toward Layle and Luna. Both were caught off guard, so the spheres of fire hit them and blew up in two large, fiery blasts. The two Crystal Bearers were sent flying across the Nest of Memories and fell weakly to the ground.

Fortunately, Raem was too distracted to continue attacking them. As Falkar ran to Cure Luna, Rulna sprinted toward Raem. He then drew his sword and swung it at Raem's head. Raem responded by lifting one of his claw-like arms and hitting Rulna aside with it. The Selkie flew through the air because of this attack, but he managed to do a backflip, land on his feet, and attack Raem once more. When he stabbed his blade into one of Raem's wings, Raem roared and swung that wing forward. Rulna rolled under the wing while slashing it once more, then stood and charged. Raem suddenly jumped forward, grabbed Rulna with his beak, and threw him far across the Nest of Memories.

After soaring through the air, Rulna heavily landed upon the reflective ground, painfully rolled across it, and came to a halt. When he stood, he saw that he was close to the Miasma Crystal. Zinka was at its base, warily watching the Selkie with a bloody dagger in his hands. Rulna prepared to attack him, then saw something in the corner of his eyes. When he turned to look, he saw that Nakta was still battling several dozen Minions. Forgetting about Zinka, Rulna came to the aid of Nakta and began slaying the Minions surrounding the Clavat.

Meanwhile, Falkar had Cured both Luna and Layle. Because Luna had been Cured first, she was already next to Raem and was attacking him while dodging his various attacks. When Falkar ran over and Cured Layle, he jumped to his feet and charged forward. Raem spotted the Clavat, so he launched another attack out of the strange mouth on the side of his wing. This time he released a Blizzard ball rather than a sphere of Fire.

However, Layle was prepared this time. A blue aura appeared around both of his hands, then around the sphere of ice. Layle grabbed the Blizzard ball, spun it around him in a circle, then catapulted it back at Raem. The projectile slammed into Raem's side and created an explosion of ice. While Raem was too powerful to be frozen, dozens of ice shards still hit him and tore open his skin. Shrieking at the terrible, freezing pain, Raem turned and shot a white laser out of his mouth. Layle jumped back far enough so that he was not in the explosion, but the wave of air it created still knocked him backward. As he hurriedly tried to stand back up, Raem prepared to fire another laser.

Layle would have been killed right then if not for Luna. The female Selkie saw that Layle was vulnerable, so she rammed into the side of Raem's head. Raem's laser went astray and blew up several yards to the side of Layle. Releasing an annoyed growl, Raem swung one of his arms at Luna. With her amazing agility, she ducked under the arm, stabbed two knives into it, then jumped away and began slashing at the side of his body once more.

Near the Miasma Crystal, Rulna and Nakta had just finished off the rest of the Minions. Knowing Zinka would be summoning more Minions, Rulna turned to face him. But Zinka was nowhere to be found. Rulna had no time to ponder his disappearance, though. A large explosion caused the ground beneath him to shake, and he looked to see his friends battling Raem. "Come on!" he yelled to Nakta. Nakta was hesitant to leave Yania, but then he decided that he must leave her in order to ensure that no more of his friends were killed.

As the two of them ran to help the others, Zinka stepped out from behind the Miasma Crystal. When Nakta and Rulna were a fair distance away, he ran forward, removed the crystal within Yania's ankle, and placed it upon the massive, black crystal. As soon as the two crystals touched, Yania's crystal turned from bright blue to black, and it immediately attached itself to the Miasma Crystal.

Just as Zinka was placing Yania's crystal upon the Miasma Crystal, Rulna and Nakta joined the battle against Raem. Rulna was ahead of Nakta, so he reached Raem first and began tearing up his wing. As he did, Nakta raised a hand and shot a lightning bolt at Raem. Raem growled at this attack, which was as sharp and painful as a mosquito bite. He responded by releasing a ball of Thunder out of the side of his wing. Nakta was saved as Layle grabbed onto the sphere with Gravity, slowed it to a halt in front of Nakta, then tossed it back into Raem.

The sphere of Thunder crashed into Raem and exploded. This explosion was so massive that Raem was knocked onto the ground. As he growled with anger and tried to push himself up with one wing, Luna jumped onto the wing and ran up it. When she had reached his back, she jumped onto his neck and thrust her two daggers into the top of Raem's head. Roaring in pain, Raem suddenly lifted himself upward, then slammed into the ground. Luna was thrown in front of him, and he immediately fired a laser at her. Layle just barely managed to grab her with Gravity and pull her to safety before the deadly laser exploded.

With Luna off his back, Raem could now concentrate on his other enemies. Both Nakta and Rulna were hacking away at him from the sides, but they were doing hardly any damage to him. Yet he was still annoyed by their attacks. With amazing speed, Raem suddenly spun around and hit both of the humans away with his head. Then he shot a Blizzard ball at each of them to keep them away from him.

He had forgotten about Layle, though. Grabbing onto both of the spheres of ice, Layle lifted them above his head, then threw them both into Raem. The two spells combined to create a tremendous explosion of ice. Raem was frozen in place, and Luna, Nakta, and Rulna took this chance to attack him.

Unfortunately, this did not last very long. The ice around Raem shattered several seconds later, and he spun around once more to hit his enemies aside. When he stopped spinning, Raem found himself facing Nakta. Raem let out an ear-splitting roar, then fired a laser at the Clavat.

Then, just as Raem was releasing his laser, Nakta shot a massive lightning bolt at Raem. The Thunder spell and laser collided, creating a humongous explosion. All five of the humans battling Raem were knocked several yards backward from the blast. Even Raem was pushed onto his back.

While the Crystal Bearers got back to their feet fairly quickly, Raem was having some troubles rising. He was unused to being on his back. His wings began flapping, but that obviously didn't work, since he was upside down. He then tried using his arms to push himself up, but even they could not lift his weight. With a roar of anger and panic, Raem struggled to rise.

The humans immediately saw Raem's vulnerable state. With wordless war cries, they charged at Raem. Nakta tossed his sword to Layle, then began throwing Thunder spells at Raem while Layle, Rulna, and Luna all fought him with weapons. Together, the four combined their attacks and slowly began to weaken Raem.

Raem could tell that he was weakening. Determined to destroy his enemies, Raem gathered all his energy to roll upright. Then he hit Nakta and Layle aside with his two arms. He followed that by spinning around and knocking Rulna and Luna away with his wings. When he had quit spinning, he fired two spheres of Thunder out of his wings and shot a laser out of his mouth. Because the laser was far more dangerous, Layle grabbed Rulna and tossed him away from it. Then a ball of Thunder hit Layle and another hit Nakta, and the two were sent tumbling across the Nest of Memories because of the explosions.

As Falkar ran to Cure the two Clavats, Luna and Rulna charged at Raem. The Selkies were quick and strong, so they managed to dodge Raem's attacks and barrage him with their blades. The cuts they created were deep enough that dark red blood began to pour out of them. Raem cried out in anguish. He tried to spin around and hit the Selkies aside, but they were swift enough to flatten themselves on the ground and avoid the attack. Then, when he attempted to grab Rulna in his beak, Rulna stepped aside and brought his sword into Raem's neck. Raem tried to roar in pain, but it was more of a gurgling noise because of the wound in his throat.

But, while losing blood was causing Raem to weaken, he was not even close to giving up. Raem hit Rulna aside with his claw-like arm, then prepared to fire a laser at him.

By this time, Falkar had Cured both Nakta and Layle. Running at Raem from the side, Nakta saw that Raem was about to fire a laser, so he raised his hands and shot out a large lightning bolt. The laser and thunderbolt met together only a few yards in front of Raem. A massive explosion was created, and Raem was within it. As the Crystal Bearers were knocked onto their backs, Raem released a terrifying scream of suffering.

When the humans returned to their feet, they saw why Raem had screamed. His wings, arms, neck, and head had all been terribly scorched by the explosion. Raem's eyes had been burned away, as well. Although he was weak and in pain from the blast, Raem's blindness caused him to panic. Spinning around, he fired several lasers out of his mouth and many spheres of Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder out of his wings.

However, this sudden act of blind offense was his undoing. Every laser blew up far away from any of his enemies. When Raem shot the spells out of his wings, Layle caught them and tossed them all back at him. Raem screamed as he was hammered with at least a dozen humongous explosions of magic. When this volley of attacks ended, Luna, Rulna, and Nakta pounced upon Raem and began slicing him to pieces. As they attacked him, they used his blindness to their advantage and constantly moved around or away from him. Raem attempted to hit them with his arms and head, but every attack either missed or was dodged. At one point Nakta filled his sword with Thunder and swung it down at the base of Raem's left wing. Nakta's extreme power, combined with the magical strength of Thunder, allowed his sword to slice straight through Raem's tough skin and bone. Raem shrieked as his wing was torn off, and his sudden loss of balance caused him to fall onto his right side.

When Raem tried to push himself back up, Nakta jumped forward and began hacking at his neck. Raem tried to hit him away with an arm, but Rulna came to his rescue and sliced the arm off. Roaring in fear and pain, Raem attempted to use his remaining wing to rise. Then Luna jumped onto his wing and began cutting it to pieces. Despite her attacks, he was still rising. He was then knocked over again when Layle mustered up all his strength and pushed Raem back to the ground with Gravity.

Raem roared in frustration. Although his neck was extremely tough and thick, Nakta was slowly cutting through it as he swung his sword at a single spot again and again. Then, when Raem turned his head to grab Nakta in his beak, Nakta shot a huge lightning bolt into Raem's face. Raem shrieked and collapsed to the ground. He unleashed a tremendous roar of pain and complete hatred and tried to rise once more. Then Nakta let out a similar sound, raised his sword high above him, and swung it down with all the strength within him. The sword sliced straight through Raem's neck and decapitated him. As his head rolled away, Raem's body convulsed one last time, then fell to the ground and never moved again.

Zinka's voice could be heard from a mile away. "NOOOOOOOOO!" he cried. The Crystal Bearer fell to his knees and began crying. _"Raem," _he said telepathically, but he received no reply. _"RAEM!"_

Determined to finish this once and for all, the Crystal Bearers charged at Zinka. When he saw this, Zinka wiped away his tears and stood. He drew his bloody dagger and ran at them as well. A few seconds later, Nakta was close enough to fire a lightning bolt at him. The Thunder spell crashed into Zinka and sent him flying backward. His body heavily slammed into the Miasma Crystal.

Zinka suddenly began screaming. Tentacles of black crystal snaked out of the Miasma Crystal and began pulling him inward. Zinka let out a final shriek of terror, then his cries ended as he was sucked into the large, black crystal.

The Crystal Bearers wearily fell to the ground and panted where they lay. Once he had caught his breath, Rulna said, "We did it." A small smile crept onto his face, and the others could not help but grin at their success.

Then the ground beneath them shook. As they braced themselves, the Crystal Bearers noticed that the Miasma Crystal was changing. The outer layer of it was breaking off. However, these pieces did not fall to the ground; instead, they went deeper into the crystal. After about a minute of this, the entire Miasma Crystal turned from a humongous tower into the small shape of a man.

There, where the Miasma Crystal had once stood, was a completely crystallized Zinka.

Zinka stood, raised his arms above him, and laughed. Then he lowered his eyes of black crystal toward his enemies and raised a hand. A massive lightning bolt shot out of his hand and exploded in front of Luna, Layle, and Falkar. When those three were sent tumbling across the floor, Rulna yelled in anger and charged at Zinka. Zinka let out a loud, deep chuckle. He then Slowed Rulna, froze him with Blizzard, and tossed him aside with Gravity. When he landed, the ice around him shattered and he weakly collapsed to the ground.

The man who was completely made of black crystal once again roared with laughter. _"The power!" _his voice boomed within their minds. He spun around with his hands outstretched and shot out two huge streams of fire. When he came to a halt, he was still laughing. _"I am the ultimate Crystal Bearer! None shall withstand my power!"_

When he saw Nakta running at him, he shot a ball of Darkness into him. Then, when Nakta ignored the immense pain within him and continued forward, Zinka created a massive Quake that caused all five of his enemies to fall to the ground. Nakta immediately stood and jumped at Zinka with his sword raised above him. Chuckling, Zinka formed a Barrier in front of him. Nakta slammed into the Barrier, dropped his sword to the ground, and landed on his back. Then, when he began to rise again, Zinka Slowed Nakta with one hand and shot a large stream of fire out the other. Because he was being Slowed, Nakta was unable to attack Zinka or move away from the fire. He screamed as he was burned to death. His scream ended a few moments later, but Zinka continued to shoot fire in his direction. When Zinka finally ended his attack, Nakta had completely vanished.

Zinka chuckled at the death of his enemy. Then he saw movement in the corner of his eye. When he turned to look, he saw that Falkar had Cured the other Selkies. Now both Luna and Rulna were running at him. Letting out a maddened laugh, Zinka shot two Bio spells into the Selkies, then hit them with two huge bolts of lightning. As Falkar ran to Cure them, Zinka smiled and prepared to shoot a ball of Darkness into the Selkie.

"Zinka!" The man made of crystal turned to see Layle limping toward him. After he had been hit by Zinka's Thunder spell, Falkar had failed to Cure him. His clothes were torn and smoking, and a large gash in his right calf was causing him to limp. Stopping where he was, he said, "It's over, Zinka. Raem is dead, and the Miasma Crystal is gone. You're finished."

Zinka unleashed a terrible laugh of insanity. _"You fool!" _his voice bellowed in Layle's mind. _"I _am _the Miasma Crystal!" _Zinka lifted his hands above him and shot massive streams of miasma out of them. Then he quit creating the miasma and looked back down at Layle. _"This world will be powerless against my might! I shall cover this world in miasma, and I will absorb the tribal crystals as I have absorbed this one! And if the destruction of their crystals does not kill the people of this world, then the miasma shall!"_

During this speech, Layle had slowly been limping closer to Zinka. He was now only about ten yards away from him. "You would destroy crystals, when you yourself are made of crystal?" Layle shouted. "You would destroy the things which gave you your power?"

The Bearer made of black crystal laughed once more. _"Of course I would! I was the one who was given this power! And as long as other crystals exist, others shall have power as well! So I shall destroy them! For this is my power, and mine alone!"_

Layle grimaced. "If you would take away the power of others," he yelled, "then you have no right to have power yourself!" The blonde Clavat lifted his hand up. A blue aura appeared around both his hand and Nakta's sword, which was lying only a few feet behind Zinka.

Seeing the blue aura around Layle's hand, Zinka roared with fury. He brought both his hands in front of him, then unleashed a tremendous thunderbolt out of his palms. The spell slammed into Layle, exploded, and shot Layle into the air.

But Zinka's attack came too late. Just as Zinka released his Thunder spell, Layle threw Nakta's sword. As Layle was hit by the huge lightning bolt, the sword stabbed itself into Zinka's back. With a surprised yelp, Zinka looked down to see the tip of the blade sticking out of his chest. Then cracks began to spread through his body. Zinka used Gravity to yank the sword out of him, yet the cracks continued to grow. He tried using Cure upon himself, but it did nothing to mend his broken, crystallized body. Zinka could do nothing as the cracks spread all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes. He then raised his face toward the sky, screamed, and shattered into a million pieces. These tiny pieces of black crystal silently fell toward the ground, then completely broke as they collided with the floor.

Layle hit the ground, rolled across it for several seconds, then finally came to a halt. His entire body felt as if it was on fire. As his insides burned with pain and his skin and clothes smoked, Layle raised his head to see Zinka shatter. Then his head fell back to the ground, and his vision was covered in total darkness.


	31. Moving Onward

Wow. This is it. I can't believe that this is it.

It has been grand, though! I am so glad that I decided to write this story! Thank you so much to all who have read and reviewed my story and otherwise supported me in creating it! You are all so great!

This chapter, as well as this entire story, was a ton of fun to make! I look forward to hearing what you readers thought of it in a final review!

Thank you again for reading my story and supporting it! I sincerely hope that you enjoy this final chapter! Have fun, and may we meet again!

-Yoshiman11

Chapter Thirty-One: Moving Onward

Layle groaned as he regained consciousness and felt sharp rocks beneath him. His eyes slowly opened, and he saw Rulna, Falkar, and Luna staring down at him.

The Selkies smiled when they saw that he was awake. "You're finally awake!" Luna happily said. "You were out for a few hours! Don't you Clavats do anything other than sleep?"

Layle rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but grin. Then, as he stretched his sore muscles, he sat up and looked around. After a few moments, he realized that they were located upon the slopes of Mount Vellenge. "What happened?" he asked.

Rulna answered, "After you killed Zinka, we were teleported back here." The Selkie chuckled and looked upward. "There is no longer any miasma coming out of the mountain." He turned back to Layle with a smile upon his face. "You did it, Layle!"

When Layle stood, he stumbled and would have fallen if Falkar had not grabbed him and supported him. Layle nodded his thanks, then replied, "We all did it." He gestured for Falkar to move away, and the Selkie did. This time, Layle managed to stay on his own two feet.

Falkar bowed his head forward and said, "We never could have done it alone." When the other Selkies bowed their heads as well, Layle shrugged and did the same. "Thank you Nakta, Yania, Trookle, and Varion," Falkar whispered, "for your courage and strength. You were true Crystal Bearers and, most importantly, true friends." When he looked up at the others, there were tears in his eyes.

Luna stepped forward and hugged him. "They will always be remembered," she murmured. "Their noble sacrifices will never be forgotten." As she comforted Falkar, Layle silently thanked Olgra as well.

When Luna and Falkar finally broke their embrace, Rulna said, "We have finally completed our mission." A warm smile lit up his face. "Now let's go home."

With nods of approval, the four Crystal Bearers gave Mount Vellenge one final glance, then began heading east.

After a few hours of walking, the Crystal Bearers saw a green dot in the distance. Soon after they spotted it, it slowly moved toward them. When they were close enough, they recognized it to be the Carbuncle they had met in the Shadowlands.

The Carbuncle stopped walking and gave them a deep bow. "I saw that the miasma was disappearing, so I came here to congratulate you," the green creature told them. "I knew you would succeed!" The Carbuncle bowed to them once more. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The four humans nodded, then they walked alongside the Carbuncle as he led them back to Mag Mell. As they walked, Layle said, "We still have a few questions, and we were wondering if you would try to answer them." Without looking at him, the Carbuncle nodded. The Clavat continued, "One of the Crystal Bearers in our group, Olgra, had the ability to see the future. He saw a vision of the four tribes being destroyed, then he told us that we had to find the Selkie Crystal in order to prevent their destruction. Do you have any idea why that is?"

Nodding once more, the Carbuncle responded, "If those men had successfully returned the Selkie Crystal to Mount Vellenge, the world would have been completely drenched in miasma. Layle, you and your friends had to find the Selkie Crystal so that you could combine forces with the Selkies, save the Selkie Crystal, and destroy Raem."

This did not satisfy Luna, however. "Why is it that they stole our crystal when they did?" she questioned. "Why did they not take it before?"

"Because they could not find it. You see," the Carbuncle explained, "Zinka possessed the power to hear crystals. However, he was unable to hear the Selkie Crystal or the crystals of the Selkies. That is why they found Olgra and killed him; Zinka could actually hear his crystal. Then they followed Layle and his friends to Rebena Te Ra and took the Selkie Crystal. However, those men would have eventually found the Selkie Crystal even if they had not been led to Rebena Te Ra."

The Crystal Bearers did not ask how the Carbuncle knew all this. Instead, Rulna said, "Why is it that Zinka could not hear our crystals?"

The Carbuncle looked at the Selkie and answered, "Because of you." When Rulna's face became surprised and confused, the green creature answered, "Your powers are very strong, Rulna. So strong that they were in action even when you did not mean for them to be. On the day you were born, your powers extended outward to all Selkie-related crystals and created a Barrier within them. As long as you are alive, all Selkie crystals cannot be broken, nor can they be heard by people like Zinka."

As the Crystal Bearers nodded with understanding, they reached the top of a hill and saw Mag Mell in the distance. Layle eagerly searched for Belle and was disappointed when he did not see her. Although he would not admit it to himself, he was hoping that she would be here, awaiting his arrival. Layle shook his head and bitterly thought, _Now why would she do that? _Yet still he looked toward Mag Mell, hoping to see her.

Then, before he knew it, they were in Mag Mell. Belle was nowhere to be seen. Instantly worried, Layle turned to the Carbuncle from the Shadowlands and asked, "Where is Belle?"

The Carbuncle replied, "After the miasma vanished, she left." It pointed a green finger to the east, then looked back at Layle. "She said that she could handle it solo."

Layle sighed and looked east. He instantly remembered the numerous times that he had saved her life. _That Selkie will never be able to handle it solo._

Sudden movement appeared in the corner of his eye, and he turned to see Luna glaring at him. "Well?" she asked. When Layle looked confused, she continued, "What are you waiting for? Go get her!"

Layle glanced at Falkar and Rulna. Both nodded to him. Layle smiled at all three of them, then turned and ran east.

* * *

Despite the fact that he had been very tired and weary when they walked from Mount Vellenge to Mag Mell, Layle no longer felt this tiredness. A strange energy filled his entire being, so he was able to run quickly without feeling even a hint of exhaustion.

However, his body was still getting tired, even if his mind wasn't. Fortunately, after about an hour of running, he stumbled upon a wild chocobo. Picking it up with his Bearer powers, Layle set it on the ground, jumped onto its back, and urged it to sprint east.

A few hours later, Layle saw Fum in the distance. Knowing he was almost there, Layle forced the chocobo to run as fast as it could. As it sprinted past Fum, it nearly knocked over several Clavats along the road.

Then Layle was past Fum, and he could see the forest where Olgra, Yania, Nakta, and Trookle had once resided. A few moments later, he saw Belle's plane beginning to take off of the road. Layle kicked the chocobo in the sides and willed it to go even faster.

Just when it seemed like the chocobo was going to catch up to the airship, it sped up and lifted off of the ground. Without really considering what he was doing, Layle grabbed onto the airship with Gravity and tried to slow it down. The plane was so large and moving so quickly that his spell hardly affected it. Yelling in frustration, Layle summoned all his strength and pulled back on the ship. This time, the airship began to slow down, then it finally landed back on the road and came to a halt. The chocobo instinctively stopped next to it. Exhausted from the effort of slowing the plane, Layle wearily fell off the chocobo.

An angry Belle opened the door of the airship to see why she had stopped. Then she saw Layle groaning on the ground. "Layle!" she cried. She ran forward to help him. But when Layle stood and glared at her, she stopped a few yards away from him. The look he was giving her made her feel uneasy. "Layle?"

Layle was certainly not in a happy mood. He was exhausted, dehydrated, and furious. Swinging a fist in anger, he said, "What are you doing here, Belle?" When she gave him a confused look, he continued, "Why did you leave Mag Mell? Why were you taking off?"

Belle was shocked at his harsh tone. "It was Selkie intuition," she answered. Layle gave her a blank look, so she said, "I knew that you were alive, and when the miasma cleared I knew you must be safe." Then she glared at Layle as well, and she shouted, "Then I thought I might as well treat you the way you treated me! How does it feel to have your friend leave you without even saying goodbye? How does it feel to be abandoned?"

At that, Layle's anger left him. Now he understood how she must have felt when he left after battling Jegran. When she angrily turned away, he stepped forward and said, "Belle, I'm sorry." She glanced at him, then turned away once more. "I never should have done that to you. I never should have left you." He took another step closer to her. "When I left, I didn't realize that I would hurt you. I didn't think anybody cared about me in Alfitaria. I thought that I would immediately be forgotten."

Belle spun around and began stomping toward him. "Forgotten? You thought that, just because you were so willing to forget about me, that I would forget about you? Well, I didn't, Layle!" She stopped a few feet in front of him and snapped, "While you left me without a second thought, I spent days searching for you! While you were blissfully relaxing on that cruise ship, I went through a load of trouble to steal Keiss's ship and come looking for you!"

Layle was surprised when he heard this. "Hang on," he said, "you told me that Keiss gave you that ship."

Bursting with anger, Belle yelled, "Of course he didn't give it to me! He thought you were dead from the beginning! He even convinced Althea that there was no chance of finding you. But I didn't believe it for a second! I would not accept that you were dead, so I stole his ship and searched for you for days!"

The blonde Clavat was shocked. He had thought that Althea and Keiss had sent Belle after Layle and promised her money if she brought him back. Now he knew that Belle had come of her own accord. Even when the others told her to quit what she was doing, she still continued to look for him. Finally understanding this, Layle asked, "If you were so determined to locate me, then why did you leave Mag Mell? After going through so much trouble to find me, why did you leave?"

All the anger within Belle suddenly seemed to vanish. She sadly murmured, "You told me you would never come back to Alfitaria with me. I had to return there sometime, so I figured I might as well do it now rather than later." The Selkie looked down at the ground. She was unable to meet Layle's eyes when she said, "I was afraid…" She did not finish her sentence, though.

Layle stepped closer and laid a hand on her shoulder. "What?" he asked. "Afraid of what?"

When she felt his hand upon her shoulder, she looked up into his eyes. Then she quietly said, "I was afraid to say goodbye. I felt like, if I were to wait for you in Mag Mell and try to say goodbye, that I wouldn't be able to. I was afraid that I would never be able to say goodbye to you."

Her eyes lowered to the ground once more, and Layle silently stared at her in shock. Then, when he had recovered from her words, he whispered, "Then don't." Belle looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. "Don't say goodbye." Then he did something which he didn't even mean to do. He did not even think about it; it simply happened. What he did at that moment was something he never could have expected to happen. Then again, just about everything he had ever done in his life had been done without thought. This was no different, so it truly wasn't all that unpredictable.

Layle lowered his hand from Belle's shoulder, stepped forward, and kissed her.

This kiss lasted for only a second, though. Belle pulled away from him with a bewildered look in her eyes. Even Layle was surprised at what he had done, so he opened his mouth to apologize.

He was suddenly interrupted when Belle kissed him back. Layle began to pull away a little, then stayed where he was. Both of them closed their eyes. Belle pressed her body up against Layle's, as if she was trying to get as close to him as she possibly could. Then they both wrapped their arms around each other and pulled themselves even closer together.

They stayed right there for several minutes, completely forgetting about the world as they held each other and kissed. Then, although they wanted more than anything else to stay together, they parted. Their eyes opened, and they stared at each other with complete love. Layle raised a hand and stroked Belle's long, beautiful brunette hair away from her face. "You don't have to leave," he whispered. "Stay with me."

Belle's eyes filled with fear. Then she took in a deep breath and quietly replied, "Ok." The fear suddenly left her eyes. Her body completely relaxed, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. A huge grin lit up her face. "Yes, I will!" she yelled in excitement. Then she laughed, tackled Layle with a hug, and kissed him as hard as she could.

Surprised and unprepared for this, Layle fell backward onto the ground. Yet even this did not ruin the moment. The two laughed at his fall, then Layle pulled Belle closer and passionately kissed her.

The two remained there on the soft grass for a long time after that.

* * *

On the day following the end of Raem and the Miasma Crystal, Layle, Belle, and the three Selkie Crystal Bearers stood just outside of Rebena Te Ra.

The three Selkies of Rebena Te Ra were sad and confused. "Are you sure you want to leave?" Falkar asked Belle and Layle. "I'm sure the Selkies wouldn't mind if they had just one Clavat in their presence."

Layle and Belle were standing in front of the three Crystal Bearers, with their hands locked together in between them. They glanced at each other, then back at the others. "We are sure," Belle replied with a warm smile upon her face.

Falkar opened his mouth to continue protesting, but Luna interrupted him. She and Rulna were also holding hands. "Where are you planning to go?" the female Selkie asked them.

Layle mischievously grinned. "We'll find out when we get there."

Luna sighed and rolled her eyes at Layle's response. Rulna chuckled at her reaction, then nodded to both Layle and Belle. "You will always have a place here," he told them. "Feel free to stop by anytime you're in the area."

Layle nodded and said, "We'll be sure to do that." Then he and Belle shook Rulna's and Falkar's hands, hugged Luna, and walked over to Belle's airship. The two groups waved goodbye to each other, then the plane took off and flew east toward the rising sun.

As they passed over Fum and then over the ocean, Belle glanced at Layle. "Where to?" she questioned him.

Layle shrugged. "You're the one flying the plane; I'll let you decide."

Belle laughed and evilly grinned. "And what if I choose a place that you don't like?"

Layle gave her a warm smile. "It won't matter whether I like it or not," he replied. "I'll always stay with you, Belle, no matter where you go." Then he leaned forward and kissed her.

Their lips stayed together for many long moments. Fortunately, Belle did not move her hands from the steering wheel, so the plane continued straight forward. After what seemed like a year, their lips parted. Both of them stared into the other's eyes. "I love you, little Miss Selkie," Layle softly whispered.

Belle smiled and whispered back, "I love you, Crystal Bearer." Then they closed their eyes and came together for another kiss.

As the plane flew eastward, the Clavat and Selkie gazed at the horizon, eagerly awaiting the new life which they would be sharing together.


End file.
